Bitter
by A.G. Hart
Summary: Even that which tastes sweet can leave a bitter aftertaste. A new lab tech unintentionally brings trouble to the lab. Will she be able to control the damage? Please R&R. Mild language. GGOC? GSR? GSOC? Ch. 16 is in and the end. Epilogue is up as well.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or any of its Characters. I just like using them for my amusement.

Author's note: This takes place after the season finale. I'm anti-GSR so you've been warned.

Chapter 1

Catherine Willows was sitting in her office. Her shift had been slow so far and she was finally getting a chance to work on the stack of papers that had been on her desk for the last week. She was coming to understand why Grissom was always late with his reports.

She had just finished her umpteenth report when her phone rang. There was a dead body that needed her attention. She heaved a sigh, but was secretly thankful to get away from the sea of blue ink and red tape.

The scene was an 18 year-old blonde girl named Gina Marshall. She was shot twice in her Spring Valley home. There was no sign of forced entry and no sign of a struggle. This girl didn't know it was coming. Catherine shook her head in sorrow. The girl looked like an older version of Lindsey. She grabbed her kit and started collecting the evidence.

Just as she was packing up her collection of evidence, back at the lab Gil Grissom got a call. Graveyard shift had started off busy and now it was another dead body. Grissom knew everyone else was already out on a call, so he decided to take this one.

Once Grissom got to the scene in Henderson, he found the victim was a 22 year-old man. He just finished closing up the retail store where he worked when he was gunned down outside. The deposit bag was missing and robbery was suspected as the motive in the death of Kevin Otis. Grissom didn't even try to ponder what would make a person kill another over a couple thousand dollars.

Later that shift, Grissom walked through the hallway and into the DNA lab. He hoped the report on the evidence he had collected earlier was finished.

"Do you have the Otis report ready, Wendy?" Grissom asked to the woman's back, not looking up from the one in his hands.

The woman's body tensed as she handed Grissom a report without uttering a word. She knew she'd run into him eventually, but she didn't think it would be this soon. And it's not that she didn't want to say something—anything—it was just that she couldn't even manage a 'Hi'.

"Thank you," he said still not looking up from the report in his hands.

_He probably doesn't even notice I'm not Wendy,_ she thought a little relieved, going back to the test tube in front of her.

Then, as if he'd heard her thoughts, he looked up and observed, "You're not Wendy."

The woman completely froze where she stood. She was trying to figure out if she had accidentally uttered her last statement aloud. She didn't look up from the test tube in front of her, attempting to hide her uneasiness. After a moment she forced herself to say, "Not today."

"Did she quit?" Grissom questioned the woman.

Finally, she gathered all her strength and looked up at him with her crystal blue eyes. She shook her head, causing a few of her black hairs to shake loose from the ponytail. Timidly she answered, "She…she had a car accident or something and they asked me to fill in."

"And you are?" Grissom raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, sorry," the woman replied, realizing she had forgotten to introduce herself. "Cate Dietz." She started to extend her hand, then realizing it was gloved and why it was gloved, she pulled it away. She gave a weak half smile and shrugged her shoulders. "It's my first day…and my second shift."

"Gil Grissom," he said with a nod, noting that there was something familiar about her but not quite sure what it was. Then he added, "It's your first day and you're already pulling a double?"

She shrugged again. "_Mindfreak _is a repeat tonight," she let out a nervous giggle. "Anyway, I've got a lot to do," she motioned to the vials in front of her. She needed to get him out of the lab so her heart would slow.

Grissom took the hint. "Nice to meet you," he said and then exited.

_Nice to meet you, again_, she thought as she exhaled and her muscles loosened. Although she didn't know if their first encounter really counted as a 'meeting'. They had exchanged names and did the obligatory hand shake, but he had done the same with so many other people that day about a dozen years ago. She knew the man who'd guest lectured at her university so long ago wouldn't remember just another student. However, to her, he was much more than a guest lecturer. She didn't know where she'd be if it hadn't been for Gil Grissom.

Grissom walked down the hall towards his office, totally oblivious that anything out of the ordinary had occurred. As he was entering it, he heard someone call his name. He turned around in time to see Catherine hurrying down the hall towards him.

"Grissom," she repeated. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure, what's up Cath?" he replied as they walked into his office.

"I've been looking at the ballistics report I just got and I think we might be working the same case," she told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"It looks like my bullet from the Marshall case matches yours from the Otis case," she replied.

"Interesting," he replied, taking the report from Catherine, wondering what a home invasion in Spring Valley had to do with a robbery in Henderson.

"What've you got?" she asked Grissom.

"The DNA results from the Otis case," he replied, not looking up from the report he just took from her.

"So you met the new girl," she inquired.

"Yes," Grissom confirmed. "What happened to the other guy?"

"Quit," Catherine answered. "He didn't like the hours."

Grissom looked up at Catherine and questioned, "It's her first day. Is she experienced enough to work a double alone?"

"Of course," Catherine responded, a little offended at his question. She wondered if he actually thought she'd have someone who wasn't qualified working in the lab. "She's got a degree in Biology and worked in the Atlanta lab for a number of years."

"Any good?" he asked.

"Her work so far has been excellent," Catherine jokingly replied.

Grissom got back to the matter at hand. "Do the victims have anything else in common besides what killed them?"

Catherine opened the file in front of her. "Not that I can see, but I'll get on it."

Grissom nodded. "I'll check with Sophia to see if anyone can place a vehicle or person at both scenes."

Catherine exited Grissom's office and they both got to work.

Elsewhere in the office, Cate was working on some more evidence. Her run-in with Grissom had caused her to be a little uneasy. It wasn't every day that she ran into her idol. So, she decided she'd turn on some music to help calm her.

As the classical music filled the room, she got lost in the rise and fall of it. It helped melt away the nervousness she had felt. And for the first time in a long time, she started dancing along with the music. She had generally reserved her ballet for the comfort of her room where no one watched, but she needed to release her extra energy. She did her work as she did her dance, picking up a test tube, doing a pirouette and placing it in the centrifuge. She was totally oblivious to her growing audience.

Greg Sanders was the first member of her audience. He was going to the lab to drop off some evidence to be processed. Before he entered, he heard the music. It wasn't what he had played when the DNA lab was his, but it wasn't so bad. Then he saw her dancing and stopped in the doorway.

He knew right away it wasn't Wendy, even though he hadn't seen her face. The hair color and stature were all wrong. This woman had black hair; Wendy's was red. Wendy was also taller and didn't dance. He didn't want to interrupt her, so he stood, watching.

Warrick Brown came down the hall a few moments later and wondered what Greg was doing.

"What's going on?" Warrick asked as he approached.

Greg put his forefinger to his lips and then pointed into the lab. Warrick looked and saw what held Greg's gaze. It wasn't everyday someone danced around the lab as they processed evidence.

Nick Stokes and Sara Sidle turned the corner and walked down the hall that contained the DNA lab. They were discussing a case they had been working on. They stopped when they saw Warrick and Greg standing just outside the lab.

Nick was about to ask what they were doing, when he reached the door to the lab and saw the woman dancing. He smiled, wondering if the woman realized she had gained an audience. Sara joined them when she saw the smile on Nick's face.

After another minute, the music stopped and the woman stopped dancing. Her small audience of CSIs started to clap. She turned toward them, finally away of their presence. She dropped the rubber stopper in her hand and immediately ducked down behind the table to find it—and get out of their view.

She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm her again excited heart. She couldn't believe people had been watching and she didn't notice. She made a mental note not to dance in the lab anymore. When she had decided her cheeks were back to their normal color, she stood to face her audience.

"Hi," she said, giving a weak wave and smile to the four still standing there.

Greg was the first to walk in and extended his hand. "Greg Sanders," he introduced himself.

She took his hand, worried about how sweaty her palm probably was, "Cate Dietz."

Then each of the other three introduced themselves in turn, shaking her hand.

After they introductions were concluded Cate added, "I'm honored to meet you all. I've heard so many good things." Then under her breath she muttered, "I'm so embarrassed."

Nick heard the utterance, "Nothing to be embarrassed about. You're good."

Her cheeks flushed again; she didn't think anyone heard her. "Every little girl wants to be a ballerina," she replied quietly, trying to downplay his compliment.

Nick, Greg and Warrick all looked at Sara after Cate's comment. Sara shook her head. "Never," she answered their silent question, then asked one of her own, "Did Wendy quit?"

Cate shook her head. "She had a car accident. I'm just filling in."

"Are you new?" Greg questioned.

She nodded. "First day and I have a lot of work to do," she stated, trying to empty the lab once again.

"Well, then I'm sorry to give you more," Greg responded with a charmingly apologetic smile, handing her the evidence in his hand.

"That's the job," she shrugged. "Now if you don't mind…"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cate Dietz kicked herself after the quartet left the DNA lab. She couldn't believe her actions. _To get caught, dancing, in the lab, on her first day,_ she sighed. _At least it wasn't Mr. Grissom,_ she tried to console herself.

She also couldn't believe she'd acted so shy. It had only been a year since she last worked, she didn't think she'd be that insecure. She wasn't fresh out of college. This wasn't her first job. She figured it was probably just the way her last job ended, which wasn't very good. She decided she just needed time to adjust and then everything would be fine.

She took a few more deep breaths and got back to the evidence she was processing. She was still having a hard time concentrating, though. There was something about the Marshall and Otis evidence she had processed earlier that didn't sit right with her. She tried to shake it from her mind. She was just there to process the evidence and not to analyze it anymore. She'd given that up in Atlanta.

A little while later she realized she'd also given up her lunch hour. Her stomach had started to rumble and she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. Although her stomach was still a little knotted she decided she needed to eat something and so headed to the break room.

As she entered, she paused briefly when she saw the woman sitting at one of the tables. The woman, however, didn't seem to notice her. She walked over to her and asked, "Is it ok if I sit here?"

Sara looked up and gave her a slight smile. "Sure. As long as it's not tutu uncomfortable."

Cate forced herself to let out a little chuckle. She knew Sara was trying to be friendly. "Sara, right?"

Sara nodded. "Cate?"

Cate nodded. "I am so embarrassed," she replied as she sat down. "I'm a little nervous."

Sara sized up the woman across from her as she sat. Cate was about 5'6" with black hair, but the ponytail made it impossible to tell how long it was. "We don't bite," Sara finally replied. "So, where were you working before this?"

"Atlanta," Cate responded, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Why'd you leave?" Sara was curious.

Cate knew this question was coming and knew it wasn't the easiest to answer. "I was…" she started, but stopped herself. "My grandmother fell ill and I moved to Las Vegas to take care of her. She passed away about a month ago, so I decided to come back to work. I was just lucky there was an opening."

"So, are you from Vegas originally?" Sara asked.

Cate shook her head, trying to finish chewing her sandwich before answering. "I wouldn't really say I'm from anywhere. My mom and I moved around a lot when I was a kid. My grandmother moved here about 15 years ago because her sister is here.

"What about you? Are you from Vegas?" Cate asked, not wanting the conversation to be one-sided.

"No, California," Sara responded. "I…" Sara gave an awkward smile. She hadn't explained why she came to Vegas in a long time. "I've known Grissom for a long time and he asked me to join his team here. I thought it was an honor so I left San Francisco and I've been here ever since."

Cate smiled. She would agree that it was an honor to be asked by Grissom personally to join his team. She wasn't sure how to verbalize it though without triggering more questions, so she took another bite of her sandwich while trying to figure out what to say. Finally she asked, "Do you like it?"

Sara's smile transformed into one of secret bliss, "Very much."

Cate noted the change in Sara's expression and wondered what it meant. She was just about to ask another question when Nick came in.

"Sara, we've got some new evidence," he told her. Then, noticing Cate he added with a smile, "Hello again."

Cate smiled in return, still a little unsure around her new coworkers.

"Ok, let's go," Sara replied and then stood. She and Nick exited, leaving Cate to her food.

She had finished her sandwich and was pondering her chips, but decided she didn't want to risk running into anyone else. Her nerves will still a little on edge. So, she packed up the rest of her lunch and headed back to the lab. She figured concentrating on her work would help settle her.

A couple days later and doors down the hall, Catherine couldn't get settled or analyze the evidence anymore. She'd been over it so many times. She just couldn't find a link between Kevin Otis and Gina Marshall. They had different parents, grew up in different neighborhoods, went to different schools, shopped at different stores. There was no indication that the two had even crossed paths.

Catherine heard a knock on the door and looked up. It was Grissom. "Any luck?" she asked, motioning him in.

He shook his head. "There were no witnesses to either crime, but apparently both were thought out. The retail store had surveillance cameras, but they were covered. And at the Marshall residence there was an alarm system, but apparently it was Gina's nightly routine to set it at nine."

Catherine ran a hand through her hair. "So what would be the common motive?"

Before Grissom could answer there was another knock on the door. Catherine and Grissom looked towards the sound in unison.

"Can I help you, Cate?" Catherine asked.

Cate was a little taken aback to see Grissom. She hadn't seen him since her first night so things had been going well. Plus, she had only planned on telling her findings to Catherine. "I, um, I have something I thought you might want to see," she replied, handing one of many manila folders she held to Catherine.

Catherine took the folder and looked at its contents. "You're sure of your results?" she asked, handing the folder off to Grissom.

"I double checked them," Cate responded.

Grissom, too, was surprised at the results. "Siblings?"

"Same paternal DNA," Cate stated.

"I talked to both mothers. Mr. Otis died 20 years ago and Mr. Marshall has been in jail for the last 15 years. So, Mr. Marshall had an affair with Justine Otis?

Grissom just shrugged. So far it was the only conclusion from the new evidence, but it was too early to say for sure.

Cate wrung her hands, hesitant to speak up. She was new and didn't know how her actions might be taken, but she couldn't help herself. Looking deeper was like breathing to her. She took a deep breath and started, "Well, I had an idea when I noticed the matching DNA."

Catherine and Grissom looked towards Cate. "An idea?" Catherine asked.

Cate nodded, and with Catherine's question a go-ahead, she continued "I looked into the files and noticed that both children had different parents and, of course, the first thought is always an affair. But then I noticed Mr. Otis died before Gina Marshall was even conceived and Mr. Marshall was only 16 when Kevin Otis was born, I figured there had to be another explanation."

"And that would be?" Catherine questioned.

She handed Catherine another folder. Again, Catherine took the folder and looked at it. She raised an eyebrow in surprise and gave Cate a questioning look.

Cate smiled awkwardly and answered the unasked question, "When I see hoof prints in the sand, my first thought is when was the last zebra sighting."

Grissom was intrigued by Cate's response. He wondered what the second folder Cate had handed Catherine contained. He reached for the folder and Catherine handed it to him.

"Sperm donor?" Grissom questioned.

Cate nodded, biting her lower lip. "There's a website where donor children can register and meet other children from the same donor," she said, handing Catherine another folder. "And Gina Marshall and Kevin Otis aren't the only children from the same donor."

Catherine opened this folder to see a print out of the website. "Where does it show that?" she asked, flipping through the pages.

"It…it doesn't say anything on the site. You have to register to see, but, um, I called in a favor and got the list." She handed Catherine the last folder.

"What about who the donor is?" Grissom asked, impressed she'd found out as much as she had.

"That, you'll have to get a court order for," Cate responded. "I only had one favor and that would have been number two."

Catherine, still a little taken aback asked, "You know someone at a sperm bank?"

Cate gave an awkward smile. "You'd be surprised the people I know."

Catherine smiled. "I'll bet. Well, Thank you," Catherine said to Cate, dismissing her. Then to Grissom, Catherine added, "Looks like we've got some more checking to do."


	3. New and Old

Chapter 3

The last week had been stressful for Cate. She had been trying to prove herself to her new coworkers and trying to figure out how to fit in with them. For the most part, they were all personable. Catherine Willows seemed to warm up to her right away. Nick Stokes and Greg Sanders were by far the friendliest, always cracking jokes and asking questions. Warrick Brown seemed friendly, but preoccupied. The two most elusive CSIs were Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom. They were nice, but didn't share much personal information.

In the lab, she was making friends quick. Wendy Sims was becoming a good friend, which Cate found useful since they shared the DNA lab. It was also nice to have a woman her own age to talk to. Mandy Webster was nice, but they didn't have much in common. Bobby Dawson and David Hodges were a little strange, but Cate found their scope of knowledge interesting. David Phelps and Dr. Robbins, whose first name she could never remember, were also fascinating to her. She didn't understand how they could stare at death all day and still be positive. And then there was Conrad Ecklie whom she really didn't get at all.

She took another bite of her breakfast, which she had been eating while pondering her new world of people. She was at a dinner Wendy had recommended for a good, cheap bite to eat. Wendy was supposed to join her, but had gotten hung up at the lab, so she was eating alone.

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't hear the footsteps coming up behind her.

"Ah, it's the new kid," she heard from behind her.

She turned to see who it was and then let out a small chuckle. It'd been a long time since anyone had called her a kid. "Don't be too sure, Greg" she replied. "I'm probably older than you."

Greg motioned a request to sit down across from Cate and she nodded her reply. "Older, schmolder," he responded, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "How's your first week been?"

"A little more hectic than I'd like, but ok. Lots of people to get to know," she answered.

"Yeah, it can be a little overwhelming at first, but you'll get used to everyone," he tried to reassure her.

"I know," she replied. "It's just, I was in Atlanta for 6 years and never thought I'd be starting over at 32."

"32, hmmm, you are older than me," he chided her with a playful smile.

_Nice smile,_ she thought to herself. "See? I told you," she returned his smile.

"Yeah, but not by much," he told her. "So, what else do I need to know about you?"

"That's a vague question," she laughed.

After reflecting for a moment, he jokingly asked, "Ok, how about, got a boyfriend?" He let out a big laugh and then added, "Seriously, what type of music do you like? I mean, other than classical."

Her cheeks turned a little red; she knew he was referring to her performance. "Well, I have really eclectic tastes, probably from my time in New York."

"Oh? You lived in New York?" he questioned.

She nodded. "I graduated from Columbia."

"What year?" he was curious if they might have been in the city at the same time.

She paused for a moment, trying to remember. "Ummm, '96."

Greg seemed a little disappointed. "Oh, I didn't move there until '97."

"I didn't leave until January '98," she quickly responded, thinking it was interesting to have something in common.

Greg gave her a hard look. "I wonder if we ever met there."

She smiled and replied, "There are millions of people in the city, it's highly improbable."

"Yeah, you're probably right," he agreed, a little disappointed.

She thought for a minute, trying to remember anyone she might have known named Greg from New York. It was so long ago. "Besides, the only Greg I know had black hair, kinda goth. He was in this band with my boyfriend at the time. Their name was some common chemical formula, but I can never remember what it was. Which is odd since I have a degree in chemistry."

Greg perked up. "H-two, S, O-four?" he asked.

"Yeah, that was it," she paused realizing what his response meant. "Wait, you were Byron's roommate?"

A huge grin covered Greg's face as he nodded; she remembered him. He, however, was still having a hard time placing her. "Who were you dating?"

She rolled her eyes. "Dietrich." Then she remembered he never called her by her real name and quickly added, "But, he didn't like calling me Cate, so he started calling me 'Talya', short for my middle name, Natalya."

"Talya," Greg said slowly, now remembering her. "You had a lot more piercings back then."

She chuckled. "What to know a secret?"

He had a goofy grin on his face as he nodded.

She leaned in across the table towards him. "They were all fake."

Greg feigned shock. "Fake?"

She nodded, giggling some more. "But don't tell anyone!"

Greg made a cross over his heart with his right hand. "I promise." After laughing for a minute, something else that she had said struck him. "Wait, I thought you had a degree in biology, not chemistry."

Her cheeks flushed and she silently chastised herself for the slip. She had hoped he hadn't noticed. "I, uh, I actually have a degree in both. One seemed kind of lacking with out the other."

"That's a lot of lab time!" Greg responded.

Cate giggled, it was true. She had spent many, many hours not sleeping and in a lab either dissecting this or combining that. After the time she had wasted, she felt it was well worth it. Thinking about time made her look at her watch. "Oh shoot!"

"What is it?" Greg inquired.

"I've got to go. I've got to get home. I promised my Aunt I'd help her clean today," she told him.

"Awww!" he gave her a fake pout. "Can we continue this sometime?"

"Sure," she responded not thinking anything of the request. She wrote her cell number down on a napkin. "Call me sometime…and I'll see you at the lab."

She slid out of the booth, producing a helmet and jacket that Greg hadn't noticed before. She slipped on the jacket and started to head out.

"The bike outside is yours?" he was skeptical.

She turned, smiled and nodded. "Can't beat the gas mileage," she answered.

"You'll have to give me a ride something."

"Maybe" she replied as she turned and walked out.

Greg smiled as he watched her leave. He didn't really remember much about her from New York, but what he did remember was all good. He couldn't believe they ran into each other again after all this time, but he was very glad they had.


	4. Second Chance Meeting

Grissom was tired and glad to be driving home. It had been an especially wearing shift. He was letting his tension melt away with the sounds of the violin playing through his radio.

As he scanned the road ahead he noticed a young woman in walking down the shoulder, pushing her motorcycle. He had gotten out his cell phone and was going to call highway patrol, when he recognized her. It was the new lab tech, Cate Dietz. Grissom decided to pull over and see if he could help.

Cate was glad to see someone pull over to help her. She had already been running late after running in to Greg at the diner and now she'd been out here for almost an hour. No one had stopped so that's when she decided to push. She picked up her pace until she reached the spot where the vehicle had pulled over. As she got closer to the vehicle, she saw the driver as he got out and recognized him. _What fate,_ she thought. _Of all the people in Vegas, it would be Gil Grissom._ She tried to suppress the smile that threatened to cross her lips.

When she was within earshot she greeted him, "Hi Mr. Grissom. Thank you so much for stopping."

He gave her a slight nod. "Tire blow?"

She rolled her eyes and nodded. "And I, obviously, don't have a spare. The best part is I can't call for help, because my phone battery is dead."

Grissom looked at her bike and then back at his SUV. "I think your bike can fit. Can I offer you a lift?"

"That would be great, but I don't want to put you out," she responded. "If I could just use your phone."

"It's no trouble to give you a ride," he replied, as he unlocked the back gate. "It's a rental anyway."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Grissom," she responded, not feeling familiar enough to just call him 'Grissom' like the rest of the lab.

After they had gotten the bike in the back of his vehicle, he asked, "Where are you heading?"

"Back home," she answered and then gave him the directions. "I'm lucky you were driving this way."

"I live out this way, too," Grissom stated, implying his reason for traveling that particular highway.

"I'm staying with my Aunt Susan," she offered without being asked. "I had been taking care of my grandmother there, but she past away about six weeks ago."

"Sorry to hear about your grandmother," Grissom didn't know what else to say.

Cate was nervous sitting in the car with him and was mentally smacking herself in the forehead. She knew she tended to blather on when she felt this way and say random things. She tried to concentrate on the music to calm herself. "'Giselle'?" she asked, recognizing the piece.

He nodded, somewhat impressed that she knew it. "How did you know?"

Without thinking she replied, "I used it for my audition."

Grissom gave her a questioning look. "Audition?"

She smiled awkwardly. "Yes, audition for college. I was actually a dance major at Tisch when I first started."

Grissom was now intrigued. He knew, from Catherine, that Cate had a degree in Biology. What dance and science had in common, he didn't know. "How did you go from a dance major to being a scientist?"

She let out a nervous laugh. She weighed the pros and cons of the truth and finally decided it couldn't hurt. She figured if anything, it would make her less nervous around him. "You."

"Me?" Grissom gave her a quick, confused look.

She nodded. "I had just finished my freshman year when my mother died. I wandered around Europe for a year trying to cope, but that is a whole different story. When I got back, I realized how important college was. I started back, this time at Columbia, and spent the first year taking prerequisites, not being able to decide on a major. One night, I was wondering around campus and I stumbled into a guest lecture. There was an entomologist speaking about the life cycle of the common house fly and how it can be used to establish time of death."

Grissom raised an eyebrow. And again, Cate nodded.

"I listened to the whole lecture, unbelievablely interested because the lecturer seemed really interested in what he was speaking about. Not like some that talk like they're bored. The next day I declared biology my major."

"Because of a lecture I gave?" Grissom was just trying to clarify.

"Yeah," she confirmed.

"How long ago?"

"About a dozen or so years," she said, letting out another nervous laugh.

He gave a slight nod, vaguely remembering the lecture. He was trying, without much success, to remember her face in the crowd there.

"Oh, turn here," she interrupted his thoughts.

They pulled in to the driveway of a large two-story house with a columned front porch. Grissom couldn't help but feel he'd seen the home before—not that he'd been there, just seen it. As the car came to a halt, he got out to help Cate get her motorcycle.

After they had extracted the bike, Cate noticed Grissom had gotten grease and dirt on his hands and shirt. "Oh, Mr. Grissom," she said, pointing to his shirt and hands. "I'm so sorry! Do you want to come in and wash up? I'm sure we have a shirt that could fit you."

Grissom looked down to see the damage. His shirt could wait, but he did want to clean his hands. "Just point me to the sink," he replied.

She ushered him in the house. "It's down the hall to the left," she instructed him. Then she headed up the stairs to let her aunt know she was safe.

Grissom had finished cleaning his hands and was walking back down the hall towards the door. He noticed a room the appeared to be a library. He saw a glass case that appeared to hold a book and, being a collector of books himself, was curious to see which book it held. Once upon the case, he saw it held a first edition book of poetry by one of his favorite American poets.

Cate had found her aunt and let her know that she was home, with a guest. Then Cate went back down stairs to find Grissom. She saw him in the library as he was looking at the book.

"Thomas Rusetski," Cate told him, as she walked towards him and the case.

He looked up at Cate. "He's one of my favorite poets. Where did you get this?"

"Well, it belongs to my Aunt Susan," Cate replied. "My aunt, Susan Rusetski."

"He was your uncle?" Grissom questioned.

"My great uncle," she clarified. "But he was a major part of my life. If you want, I'm sure I could convince my Aunt to let you borrow some of his works that he never got to publish."

"I would enjoy that very much," Grissom replied, thinking that is where he saw the house before. It was the cover to one of Thomas Rusetski's books. They turned to walk out and that is when Grissom noticed the framed papers on either side of the door. He walked up to them and started to read them.

"Are these yours?" he inquired.

She nodded, slightly embarrassed. "I…I…" she couldn't think of anything to say.

"Two bachelors, a Masters and a PhD?" he asked.

She understood the complete question. "I just didn't want to seem over qualified for the job."

Grissom found her answer acceptable and asked another question. "How come the PhD says 'Caterina Beckett'?"

"Well, Cate is short for Caterina and I was married," she responded.

Grissom didn't ask what happened. He deduced it hadn't ended well from the fact that she had gone back to her maiden name. Suddenly, it came to him. He remembered why she had looked familiar upon their first meeting.

"Atlanta," he thought aloud and then added, "You were a CSI on the Black Tie Murders, weren't you?" he questioned.

Her eyes grew wide. "Y-yes," she stammered her reply. She knew the case had gotten some media attention. Socialites in some of Atlanta's wealthiest suburbs were being murdered. She was only a second year CSI, but Isaiah Killian, her supervisor, wanted her on the case. He knew she wasn't swayed by the effect the case might have on her career; she just wanted to stop a killer. She was surprised he knew the case and even more so that she had worked it.

"That was some excellent work," he stated, seemingly very familiar with the case. Then, noticing the confused look on her face he added, "Killian and I worked together in L.A. and he had consulted me on the case."

"Oh," she replied, not having known that information.

"How come you aren't doing field work?" he asked.

It was the question she had been dreading because she really didn't know how to answer it. The real answer was long and complicated. And probably more information than Grissom really wanted. Finally, she just answered, "The only opening at the lab was for a tech and I really wanted to get back to work."

He was about to ask another question when his cell phone rang. He looked down at the caller ID and then answered. "I'm running late," he explained to whomever was on the other end. "I stopped to help a co-worker with a flat tire…Ok, I'm on my way."

Grissom turned to Cate. "I really need to be going."

"Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Grissom," she responded.

"No problem," he replied and then added, "And it's just Grissom or Gil. Formalities aren't required."

She smiled. "Have a good day."


	5. Gathering Evidence

Catherine and Grissom got the break they needed from Cate's discovery. They found two more children from the same donor father who had been murdered, which was enough to get a warrant for the man's name: Hunter Weston.

Mr. Hunter Weston was a self-made millionaire and a bachelor for life. At 56, he was in a coma after suffering a heart attack. He had one child of record, Xavier Weston, from a former girlfriend. Xavier was 30 and set to inherit all of the Weston Fortune.

There were some rumors about Xavier Weston and his odd reaction to his father's news about being a sperm donor. As it turned out, Hunter had told his son about his actions before his heart attack. Hunter wanted to be immortal through as many children as possible without having to be responsible for them and Xavier was worried that his father's "other" children would find out about his wealth. However, he was still just a suspect and that is why they needed to talk to him.

Catherine, Grissom and Sophia pulled up to the club, not sure of what they'd find inside, but hoping it would be Xavier Weston. They were told he had been in Las Vegas for the last couple of weeks putting on private parties and tonight he was at one.

As they approached the door they could hear the pulsating music and see flashes of light around the edges of a darkened window. The trio looked out of place amongst the line of entering guests clad in black and leather.

"You can't come in," the large man standing at the door told them. "It's a private party."

Sophia flashed her badge. "My invitation," she stated.

The man didn't look pleased, but he let them in. "Of course, Detective."

The music became almost deafening once they got inside and the lights were an assault on their eyes. There was what seemed like hundreds of people inside, huddled in smaller groups. There were chains, whips, restraints, leather, piercings and tattoos everywhere. It wasn't the groups first exposure to this type of crowd but Catherine, Grissom and Sophia looked like three virgins in a sea of harlots.

"Do you see him?" Sophia shouted to Grissom and Catherine, trying to be heard above the music. Both shook their heads in response.

"Why don't we split up?" Grissom suggested. The women agreed and they parted ways.

Grissom headed to the left, searching the crowd for Xavier. He ended up in a side room, which held more people, fixated on a stage towards one side of the room. He slowly walked about the room, still searching, when one of the performers on stage caught his eye.

It wasn't really the performer, per se, as he could only see her back. It was the piercings she had on her back that drew his attention. She had ten rings arranged in an hourglass pattern with five on each side. Linking the rings was a black ribbon, so it appeared as if it were a corset. It was an interesting set of piercings that he had never seen before.

He refocused his energies on finding Xavier and started scanning the crowd once again. When he reached the far wall of the room, he turned to head back out. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the dancer's face whose back had intrigued him before. Her face seemed very familiar, so, out of curiosity, he walked closer to the stage.

As he drew nearer, he recognized her. He stood there for a few minutes watching her. There was a great contrast between her pale skin and the deep red vinyl catsuit she was wearing. Her lips were painted the same color as her clothing and her hair was pulled tight into a bun on the back of her head. Her eyes were covered in liner and mascara, but they only made the pale blue of her eyes stand out more.

Her dance brought her to the far edge of the stage, just as the lighting changed. She could, for a brief moment, see out in to the crowd. She froze for a moment; she swore she saw him. But it was such a brief glimpse that she convinced herself that it was only her imagination. Cate couldn't image Gil Grissom showing up at a place like this.

Grissom felt his phone vibrate, indicating that someone was trying to reach him. He made his way out of the room, leaving the dancers to finish their routine, but the image not leaving his mind. He checked his phone; it was a text message from Sophia. She'd found Xavier towards the back of the club.

Grissom found Sophia with Catherine already there. "So where is he?" Grissom questioned.

Sophia cocked her head to the right, indicating a group of five women with one man whose back was towards them. Grissom nodded his agreement and then the trio walked over to the sextet.

Sophia tapped the man on the shoulder. He turned around and disapprovingly looked her up and down. "Sorry, sweetheart, not my type," he told her.

She half smiled and showed him her badge. "What does this do for you?"

He saw her badge and laughed a little. "Throw in the cuffs and the redhead," he replied, indicating Catherine, "and maybe we have a deal."

Grissom was about to speak up, but Sophia forcefully pulled him up out of his chair. "Let's go somewhere quiet and maybe we can make a deal."

A few minutes later they were in a back room where the music from the rest of the party was a distant thumping. Xavier was not happy about being pulled away and was standing, arms crossed, leaning on a far wall.

Even in the steady light of the office, it was hard to tell his age. He had black, blonde and red spiked hair. His eyes were coated in black and red liner to match his hair, his lips totally black. His sleeveless shirt revealed the many tattoos that covered his muscular arms. And his black leather pants left little to the imagination.

"So what can I do for you detective?" he asked, letting his annoyance shine through.

"Where were you a week ago Monday?" she questioned.

He laughed in response. "I can't remember where I was two days ago."

"Why don't you try a little harder," Grissom advised, irritated.

He put on a show, looking up towards the ceiling and tapping his chin. Then he turned towards Grissom, looking him straight in the eye. "Nope, nothing." He continued his production with shrugging his shoulders as he spoke.

Sophia pulled out pictures of Gina Marshall and Kevin Otis. "How about them? Do you remember them?"

He barely looked at the pictures, uneasiness apparent on his face. "Nope, never seen them before." He gave a fake smile, trying to show confidence.

"Then you wouldn't mind giving us a DNA sample and your fingerprints," Catherine spoke up, trying her best not to smack the cocky out of him.

He turned to face Catherine and gave her a winning smile. "Now, sweetie," he addressed her. "I think my lawyer would be upset with me if I did that."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Of course he would."

"Anything else?" Xavier asked.

"Yeah, don't leave town," Sophia told him and then he left.

"That was informative," Catherine stated.

"Did he touch anything?" Grissom questioned.

"Not that I saw," Catherine replied.

Sophia just shook her head.

They walked out in to the hall that led back to the revelry to find Xavier still there. He had his elbow propped against the wall, his other hand on the stomach of the woman he had cornered. He looked back at them as they came into the hall. He turned his head enough for Grissom to recognize that it was Cate and for her to see that it was him.

She dropped her head down, hoping that Grissom wouldn't say anything and that Catherine wouldn't recognize her. She now knew Grissom was there for business and not pleasure. It made more sense to her. Her expression still showed her uneasiness at being caught by her supervisor at a place like this and with the man they had obviously come to talk to as he had come out of the same room not long before.

As the trio started to walk past, however, Grissom thought that Xavier was the cause Cate's expression. He couldn't stand men that tried to bully women. "Cate," he said with a nod, not sure of what else to say, but hoping it might give her a way out.

She saw something in the expressions that Grissom and the two women wore. And that's when she knew what she had to do. She grabbed Xavier by the shirt and pulled him close, kissing him. He pretended not to be surprised and grasped her behind with his hands. After a few moments, she whispered something in his ear and he left her standing in the hall with the other three.

"Got a sterile container?" she asked, before any of the three could say anything.

Catherine opened the case she was carrying and pulled out a small plastic jar. She handed it to Cate, who promptly spit into it and handed it back to Catherine.

"DNA sample," Catherine thought aloud, realizing what Cate had done.

"Please tell me you needed his fingerprints and I didn't just let him grab my ass for nothing," Cate smiled.

Catherine laughed. Sophia just gave Grissom a puzzled look, not knowing whom this woman was. Grissom realized Sophia and Cate hadn't met and did the introductions.

"Sophia, this is Cate Dietz, she is the new swing shift DNA tech. Cate, this is Detective Sophia Curtis."

The women shook hands and exchanged "Nice to meet yous".

"So, do you want to print me or take my clothes?" Cate asked, feeling her confidence return knowing that she was of assistance.

Catherine and Grissom exchanged looks. "Why don't we just print you," Catherine said.

"So who gets to do the honors?" Cate playfully responded, raising an eyebrow and looking from Catherine to Grissom.

"Why don't I?" Catherine answered, noticing Grissom looked a little flustered.

"Want to go back into the room?" Cate questioned.

Catherine nodded and then they started to walk back towards the room. Cate turned around and looked at Grissom and Sophia. "You might want to talk to security and get a copy of the video," she pointed to the camera in the corner of the hall. "Just in case a judge doesn't want to believe two CSIs, a detective, and a lab tech."

In the room, Catherine had started to print Cate's clothes. "That an interesting evidence collection technique," she told Cate, noting the corset piercing and a scar slightly above it on the left side.

Cate smiled even though Catherine couldn't see. "Once a CSI always a CSI," she responded, forgetting it was Grissom who knew she used to be a CSI.

"You used to be a CSI?" Catherine inquired, already figuring the answer was yes and realizing it made a lot of sense.

"Y-yeah, back in Atlanta," Cate answered.

"It seems to suit you," Catherine stated. "How come you're back to a lab tech?"

"It was the only opening," Cate responded. "And less stressful."

"Amen to that," Catherine concurred, finishing her printing job. "Now, do I owe you a drink?"


	6. Friendly conversation

Chapter 6

A few hours later, Cate took Catherine up on the drink. Catherine's shift had ended and Cate was interested in getting to know Catherine better. They were sitting at a back booth in a Vegas bar. Cate had changed clothing, she was now in a black t-shirt and red jeans. Catherine had on black jeans and a multicolored shirt.

They had been chitchatting a little bit about the events of Xavier's party when Catherine asked, "So, what did you whisper in his ear to make him leave?"

Cate laughed a little. "I told him that Grissom was my boyfriend and I was just trying to get a rise out of him. And that maybe I could blow Grissom off and try and get a rise out of him."

Catherine rolled her eyes and smiled. "Men."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I've dated so many jerks you'd think I'd have more than one bad marriage under my belt," Cate responded.

"Ahh, a fellow divorcee," Catherine raised her glass. "It's a fun club to be in."

Cate clinked glasses with Catherine. "So why'd you divorce?"

"We wanted different things," Catherine answered. "He wanted sex, drugs, and rock and roll. I wanted stability, monogamy, and a future."

"All important things in a marriage," Cate agreed.

"What about you?" Catherine inquired.

"I wanted honesty and he couldn't give it to me," Cate replied.

"What's so hard about the truth?" Catherine asked rhetorically.

"Ye—" Cate froze mid word. _It can't be,_ she thought.

Catherine turned in the direction Cate was staring. "What's up?"

Cate tried to hide her uneasiness with a smile. "It was weird. I thought I just saw my ex."

"Probably just the power of suggestion," Catherine tried to ease her mind.

"Yeah," Cate agreed, shaking it off. _There's no way it could be him,_ she consoled herself.

"Was the divorce that bad?" Catherine questioned after Cate's reaction.

"Ever divorce a cop?" Cate replied. Then, without waiting for a response from Catherine, she added, "The one man who wasn't some Eurotrash musician, artist, whatever, and he was the one that—" she stopped realizing what she was about to say.

"The one?" Catherine tried to get her to finish.

Cate let out a sigh and finished her sentence, but not with her original thought, "The one that was the biggest jerk of them all."

"The reason you left Atlanta?" Catherine questioned.

"Definitely one of the top five," Cate answered, taking a big gulp of her drink.

"Would I know any of your cases from Atlanta?" Catherine asked, curious after seeing her in action.

"The Black Tie Murders?" Cate responded.

Catherine thought for a second. "Wait, you're Caterina Beckett?"

"One in the same," Cate tipped her glass to Catherine.

Catherine was impressed. The Black Tie Murders had received a lot of press. And it was Caterina Beckett—Cate—who discovered the evidence that put the killer away.

"That means Paul Beckett was your husband?" Catherine inquired.

Cate was surprised Catherine knew that much, although, her ex had been in the news a lot about six months ago. "Yeah, I know how to pick them, huh?"

"Wow, not just a cop, but a dirty cop who's now on death row," Catherine stated.

Cate nodded, taking another big swig from her drink. "But I don't want to talk about him. What do I need to know to survive the lab?"

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Nick, Warrick, Greg and Sara had heard about the events at the party. They were all a little disappointed to have missed it for various reasons. But all took a little evil delight in the fact that the occurrence was captured on video. And as soon as Archie had the video, all four of them descended on him to watch it.

Archie ran through footage, looking for the spot that Grissom instructed him to look for. There were many people who came and went in front of the camera. Finally, a couple of hours into the tape, Archie spotted Grissom, Catherine and Sophia walking down the hall and into the room with their suspect.

Not long after, a woman, who happened to be Cate, was walking down the hall with her back to the camera. Greg was impressed with the corset piercing. It wasn't the first one he'd seen, but it was a nice one. Sara couldn't imagine subjecting her body to that type of pain for something temporary. Nick was a little surprised, having thought Cate was pretty tame. Warrick had learned a long time ago people do odd things to their bodies for entertainment and didn't question the piercing at all.

Then they saw the suspect leave the room and corner Cate in the hall. All five of them had the same thought about what a jerk the guy was. They all saw Cate shrink against the wall as Catherine, Sophia and Grissom left the room and entered the hall—she didn't want to be seen. After what appeared to be a brief exchange of words, Cate looked back up at the camera and then grabbed the suspect and planted one on him.

The men all smiled to themselves, wishing, for a brief moment, to be the suspect. Sara, however, had a different reaction because of her lover's response. She thought it odd that Grissom seemed to grimace and then turn away slightly. Sara thought, for a second, that maybe Grissom had some feeling for this woman, but quickly shook the thought from her head. She realized she was just being paranoid; Cate had only been at the lab for a few weeks and surely that wasn't enough time for Grissom to form any sort of attachment to her.

"Man!" Greg exclaimed, breaking in to Sara's thoughts. "I think I need to be fingerprinted!"

Archie, Warrick and Nick laughed, but were all thinking the same thing. Sara just rolled her eyes. "Real mature, Greggo," she responded.

"I just wonder who gets to dust those prints!" Nick added and the men all laughed again.

"It _is _an interesting way to get the evidence," Sara tried to get the conversation back to the case.

"You think it'll stand up in court?" Nick questioned.

"Well, he didn't have to grab her," Sara reasoned. "And he can't argue it's not him. The video is clear as day."

"I wonder if she's going to be our next lab tech to graduate to CSI," Warrick stated, messing up Greg's hair as he spoke.

"Getting one set of fingerprints does not a CSI make," Sara responded, suddenly feeling a little bit of jealousy. It wasn't long ago that she was the object of desire at the lab. Of course, she had to remind herself, that she now had the object of _her _desire, so what did anything else matter? She tried to stifle the smile that was about to break through her scowl.

"Actually," Wendy broke in to the conversation. She had some evidence that Sara had been waiting on. "She was a CSI in Atlanta."

Nick, Warrick, Greg and Sara all looked at Wendy. It was Warrick that finally asked what they were all wondering, "How did you find out?"

"She told me," Wendy replied with a half smile. "You learn a lot about someone when you share a lab with them." She handed Sara the folder. "This is for you." Then she left.

"Very interesting," Greg observed, tapping his chin. "Very interesting indeed."


	7. Not that Easy

Author's note: Slight change to the second part of the chapter. I did some things wrong. I've corrected them.

Chapter 7

Cate hurried down the hall of the lab. Her arms were full of files, evidence that she needed to get processed. She was behind and she hated it.

She was in such a rush and so flustered that she tripped over her own feet, spilling her files all over the floor. She swore at herself for not being more careful, then bent down to pick them up. She had finally collected all the files and started back towards the lab when she heard someone call her.

"Cate, can I speak with you for a minute?" she heard Grissom's voice from behind.

She turned around. "Could it possibly wait?" she asked, giving him a wry smile and indicating the stack of files in her hands.

"No," he replied and walked back in to his office.

She rolled her eyes and heaved a deep sigh after Grissom was out of sight. She really didn't need another confrontation right now.

"What can I do for you Grissom?" she inquired, sounding a little exasperated, as she walked in to his office. Once she had entered, she noticed Catherine was in there as well. She nodded a hello.

"About last night," Grissom started.

"I don't –" she began to defend herself.

Grissom held up a hand to stop her. "Catherine and I have discussed the events of last night. And, while the evidence was needed, neither of us can condone the method by which it was collected."

Cate's expression betrayed the annoyance she tried to hide, but still she bit her tongue. "I understand," she forced herself to say instead of what she really wanted. She had just had this same conversation with Conrad Ecklie and, at it seemed, so had they.

Evidently, the video of last night had been making its way around the lab and wound up on Ecklie's desk. He had stopped her on her way into the lab, but he hadn't requested her presence; he demanded it.

"Ms. Dietz," Ecklie stopped her. "In my office."

She could tell by the sound of his voice that this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. "How can I assist you?" she asked, walking in to his office, feeling like a child being called to the principal's office.

"It has come to my attention that there was some unorthodox evidence collection going on last night," he said as if she was being charged with a crime.

"I apologize wholly," she replied, a contrite look on her face. "It was a pure coincidence that I was there and it was a spur of the moment decision."

"I feel it necessary to remind you, Ms. Dietz, there is a reason you are no longer a field agent." He paused, as if giving her time to reflect. Then he continued, "And if it wasn't for your experience and credentials this conversation might have gone differently."

Her cheeks flushed. Like he needed to remind her of that. "I understand," she replied, trying to keep her temper in check. "And I appreciate your willingness to take a chance on me," she tried to sound grateful. She knew the game.

An odd half-smile crossed his face, like he almost believed her. "Your domain is the lab. Stay there," he ordered and then showed her the door.

"Also," Catherine started, bringing Cate back to the present conversation. "The lab has a strict policy about second jobs."

Cate had reached her frustration saturation point and interrupted. "I know. And, when I was hired, I informed Mr. Ecklie about the performance last night. He stated that it was fine as long as I wasn't stripping or prostituting. Apparently, as this situation proves again, he cares more about the PhD after my name than anything else on resume."

Catherine was a little taken aback by Cate's abruptness and her revelation, which, according to the look on Grissom's face, wasn't news to him. This wasn't the same woman she'd shared drinks with last night or observed for the last couple of weeks. She wondered what had caused the change.

Cate noticed the change in Catherine's expression and so softened her own. She hadn't meant to come off as harsh as she had. The conversation with Ecklie had soured her mood. "Sorry," she quickly apologized to both of them. "I just…it's been…" she let out a deep sigh and tried to regain the composure she felt slowly slipping away. She chastised herself for her lack of professionalism. "It won't happen again. May I get back to the lab?"

Grissom nodded and Cate left. Catherine was just about to ask Grissom a question, when her cell rang, alerting her to a crime scene that needed her attention.

"Remind me to talk to you later," Catherine said as she left, knowing Grissom probably wouldn't remember.

Grissom, alone in his office, was also pondering the change in Cate's demeanor. She wasn't the confident dancer she had been last night or the emboldened investigator that did whatever she had to in order to get evidence. She seemed flustered and frightened. He wondered what had caused the about face, but he didn't wonder long because there was a knock on his door.

"It's open," he called, not looking up from the file in front of him.

Sara walked in, looking at a file of her own. "Hey Gris," she greeted him, looking up. "I've got some interesting news."

"Oh?" Grissom replied, noticing her new hair cut and wondering when she had time to get it.

"The fingerprints from Xavier Weston match some found at the crime scene for the first victim in Reno," Sara informed Grissom. "And, they partially matched a few stray prints at the Marshall scene."

"Did they get a search warrant?" Grissom asked.

"They're working on it. Meanwhile, Sophia is working on bringing in Weston."

"Let me know what he gets here," Grissom told her.

She nodded and then turned to leave.

"Your haircut is nice," he said before she left the office.

She turned back to him and smiled. "I'll, uh, I'll be sure to let you know when he gets here." She pushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear and then left. Her smiling deepening as she exited his office. She was impressed that he had noticed.

As it turned out, Sara wasn't the only one with a new hairdo. When Sophia appeared with Xavier Weston, Grissom hardly recognized him. Xavier's hair was now just blonde, slicked back with gel. He was clean-shaven with no make-up. His leather pants had been replaced by a pinstriped suit. However, Xavier still had the same smug look on his face.

"Nice to see you again," Xavier smirked.

"The pleasure's all mine," Sophia replied, her words overflowing with sarcasm. "So, let's try this again," she said as she again pushed pictures of Gina Marshall and Kevin Otis across the table at Xavier, this time, though there were also pictures of Heather Walker and Sam Cook, the first two victims.

Xavier barely looked at the pictures. "Never seen them before. That hasn't changed from last night."

"So, you've never been to any of their homes or work places?" Sophia asked.

Xavier's lawyer whispered something in his ear, but the younger man just shook his head. Grissom could tell Xavier's arrogance was going to be his downfall.

"Homes, no," Xavier replied. "Places of work, I can't say. I go lots of places. It's possible I might have been to one of them."

"What would you say if I told you I found your fingerprints at one of their homes?" Sophia bluffed. The prints from the Marshall home weren't enough of a match to stand up in court, but Xavier didn't know that.

Xavier's eyes got wide, then narrowed. "I'd say you're bluffing because my fingerprints aren't on record."

Grissom pulled out a picture from the file he held in his hands. It was a still from the video of their confrontation in the hall. It showed Xavier with his hands on Cate.

Xavier's lawyer took the picture from Xavier. He again whispered something into Xavier's ear. This time, however, Xavier responded in kind. It was impossible to say what Xavier was saying, but easy to tell that whatever it was, it was heated.

Xavier's lawyer finally spoke up. "These prints will never stand up in court. This woman is an agent of this lab," he threw the picture back down on the table. "And my client had already refused to give you his prints. Now, if you don't have anything else…" he and Xavier both stood.

"Not so fast," Sophia stopped them. "I have some more questions."

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"Ms. Dietz," Ecklie called after Cate, giving her a small sense of déjà vu. "In my office."

Cate's stomach twisted into a knot. She just knew that her outburst with Catherine and Grissom had gotten back to Ecklie and that he was going to use it to fire her. She hung her head as she walked in to his office.

He handed her a folded piece of paper. She was sure it was her pink slip, but when she opened it, it was a copy of a court motion. She let out her breath, which she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"ADA Sinclair got the judge to allow the fingerprints you collected to stand, but we will have to defend them when this case goes to trial," Ecklie said before Cate could say word one. "Is that going to be a problem?"

She looked him straight in the eye, knowing what he was asking and knowing what she would have to do, what she would have to face. "Not a problem at all," she replied, although she really wasn't all that sure.

"I've given Sinclair your file. He's going to call you with any questions he may have. Make sure you are available for him," Ecklie ordered.

She nodded; she knew the ADA would need to be prepared. She also knew she would have to have a conversation with Grissom and Catherine before her testimony. There were things she didn't want them finding out while she was testifying. She only hoped maybe Xavier Weston would confess and then she wouldn't have to take the stand.

She left Ecklie's office feeling dejected. She knew she had a few months before the case ever reached trial—if it ever reached trail—and before she would have to tell. She decided she would work extra hard to prove herself to the lab and Ecklie before then. Maybe, just maybe, it would dispel the speculation before it started.


	8. The Coming Storm

Chapter 8

Cate glanced over the titles printed on the book spines. She knew most of them, as they had been there since she started coming to the store. Occasionally there would be a new title amongst them, something interesting she hadn't read.

She had a couple of those rarities in her hand, but was now looking for something in particular. She looked at the titles once more, spotting something that looked similar. Thinking she might have remembered the title wrong, she reached for the book to take a closer look, her eyes going back to her list to double check. Her hand bumped someone else's.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized and withdrew her hand. She looked up to see if they were going for the same book. She saw the other patron's hand, which she could tell belonged to a man. He had grabbed the book she was going for, something she found interesting. She doubted there were that many people who would be looking for a book about recently discovered species of insects at four a.m. at one of Vegas' all night bookstores.

"Pardon me," came the response.

She thought the man had a nice voice and in a split second had already imagined what he looked like, their first date, wedding, and 2.5 kids. She silently laughed at how pathetic her love life must be to think all this over a hand, a book, and two words.

She turned to see just how wrong her fantasy had been. "Grissom?"

He glanced up at the sound of his name. "Cate," he replied, a little surprised to see her.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, a little embarrassed at all she had just been thinking about him but not really about him. Her words were the first, non-work related thing she'd said to him in about two weeks. She had spent the last fortnight with head in her work and barely a thought for anything else. She was trying to prove to Ecklie that she was worth her weight. The only people in the lab she really talked to were Wendy because they often worked together, Greg because he had made an effort and so she returned it, and Catherine, but even their conversations were more work related than anything else.

"Just getting some new reading material," he responded, showing her the book in his hand.

She smiled. "That's the one I was looking for, too," she told him.

Being a gentleman, he offered the book to her after seeing it was the only copy.

"No, you got it first," she replied, refusing it. "Maybe you can let me borrow it when you're done." As soon as the words left her mouth, she remembered her uncle's books. "Oh man, I forgot to get you those books!"

Grissom pulled the book back and smiled slightly. "It's alright." Then he added, "You like insects?"

"Well," she answered. "I'm no entomologist, but I did do my dissertation on the roll of several key insects in evolutionary ecology."

He scanned the books, searching for one in particular. He found it and pulled it out, handing it to Cate. "Have you read this one?"

She took it and glimpsed at the title. "No, I haven't. It's good?"

He smiled fully this time. He loved talking about insects. "Yes, it's very good."

She was taken off guard by his smile. She hadn't seen him smile much but this was different than any smile she'd seen. Her 2.5 fantasy children popped back into her head, this time, resembling Grissom. She quickly shook the thought from her head. He was so not her type and she doubted she was his. She, however, didn't want to let the opportunity of spending some time talking science with her reason for being a scientist pass. "Do you want to get a cup of coffee and tell me about it?"

Grissom looked at his watch and decided he had time. Sara had already called him to let him know she was hung up at the lab. Plus, he didn't like to miss an opportunity to talk about insects, especially with someone who seemed really interested. "Sure, I've got some time."

They had talked for quite a while and both had an enjoyable time. As they were getting ready to leave, Grissom took one last drink from his coffee. Cate noticed that if left some sugar on Grissom's beard. She giggled a little. "You have something right here," she said, touching the spot on her face.

Grissom took out his handkerchief and wiped the spot she indicated. He looked to her for an indication that he had gotten the spot. She shook her head and he tried to get it again, but was still unsuccessful.

Cate took the handkerchief from Grissom. "Let me get it."

Grissom was a little uncomfortable and stiffened when Cate touched him. She got a little closer to make sure she had gotten it when she looked up into his eyes. She noticed their smoky color and her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't even realized what she was doing until her lips were already pressed to his.

He quickly withdrew and she apologized. "I'm so sorry!" She covered her face with her hands. "You probably are involved with someone or at least, don't even think of me that way."

"I…I am involved with someone," he told her. It definitely wasn't that he wasn't attracted to her. She was smart, a good conversationalist…but then there was Sara. They'd danced around their feelings for so long, he enjoyed the openness he now shared with Sara.

"I'm so sorry," Cate repeated. "I…I don't know what came over me." She handed Grissom back his handkerchief. "Thank—thank you for talking with me." She hung her head and left.

Grissom stood where they had been for a moment. He was still a little stunned from Cate's kiss. It wasn't something that had ever happened to him before. Not even Sara had been so bold. _Sara_, he thought then looked at his watch. He didn't have much time before she got home so he quickly paid for his books and started home, shaking the thought of what had just happened from his head.

The next day, Cate was out of time. She was helping day shift get caught up with some of their evidence and lost track of time. She was supposed to meet Greg at his place. They were going to see a band tonight. She pulled out her phone.

"You're running late," Greg answered his phone.

"How'd you know?" she inquired.

"You were supposed to be here half an hour ago," he replied.

She knew she was running behind, but didn't think she was late yet. She looked at her watch again and noticed the second hand had stopped moving. "Damn," she hissed. "My watch stopped."

Greg laughed. "It's alright. The opening band usually sucks anyway."

She smiled to herself. Greg was one of the most laid back people she'd ever known. "You want to just meet me here?" She already had her clothes in her backpack. She had planned on changing at Greg's.

"Sure," he replied. "I'll be there in 30."

She hung up the phone and quickly cleaned up the area where she had been working. She rushed into the locker room and grabbed her backpack. As she was pulling her shirt out, her hand brushed the brown-paper wrapped package in her bag. It was the books for Grissom. She set the package on the bench in front of her so that she would remember to put them in his office. She took a quick glance around to make sure she was alone and then removed her shirt.

She had finished changing and was lacing up her knee-high boots when Sara walked into the locker room.

"Hey," Sara greeted the other woman, who was dressed in a black tank top layered over white sleeveless t-shirt and black leather pants tucked into the boots she was lacing up.

Cate looked up. "Hey Sara," she replied.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments where Sara didn't know what to say but felt she should say something. "What's in the package?" she asked, trying to be friendly and not knowing how else to start a conversation.

"Just some books for Grissom," Cate replied, lacing the other boot and not noticing Sara's reaction.

"Oh?" Sara questioned.

"Yeah," Cate responded. "My uncle was a poet—Grissom's favorite—and I had some volumes of unpublished works that Grissom wanted to borrow."

"Your uncle was Thomas Rusetski?" Sara questioned.

"Yeah," Cate replied, thinking it a little odd that Sara knew Grissom's favorite poet. _But then again,_ she thought, _Sara did say they'd know each other a long time. I wonder if Sara is the one…_

Sara was thinking the same thing, that it was a little odd that Cate knew Grissom's favorite poet. She interrupted Cate's thought, "You and Grissom talk about poetry?"

Cate laughed. "No," she answered. "I got a flat tire and Grissom gave me a lift home. He came in to clean up and saw one of my uncle's books. I offered to let him borrow the unpublished volumes, but had forgotten them until running in to him last night."

Sara was a little surprised. Grissom had told her that Cate was the coworker he helped with a flat tire. "You, uh, ran into him last night?" A slight twinge of jealousy was starting to show through.

Cate sat down on the bench, having finished lacing her boots, still oblivious to Sara's growing concern. "Mmhhmm," she confirmed. "At that all night bookstore."

"Ah," was Sara's only response. Grissom hadn't told her about running into Cate either time. Sara tried to shrug it off. _Obviously it was nothing if Grissom didn't mention it,_ she silently reassured herself. Sara was about to ask another question when they were interrupted.

"Hey Cate, you ready to go?" Greg asked, coming in to the locker room. Upon seeing the other woman, he greeted her. "Hey Sara."

"You betcha," Cate smiled. She picked up the clothes sitting next to her on the bench, picking up the package as well. She stuffed it all back into her backpack and then into her locker. She was already late; she could give Grissom the books another night. "Have a goodnight," she said to Sara.

Sara, noticing that Greg's outfit of a vintage Clash t-shirt, jeans with a rip in one knee, and a studded leather wrist cuff was a good match for Cate's, she could only guess where they were going. "You two kids behave yourselves," she responded as they left.

But Cate and Greg did anything but behave themselves. The music was loud and the beer was cold and cheap. The punk rock band was so-so, but the music at least had a good beat to dance to and Greg and Cate soon joined the mosh pit.

After one particularly hard hit, Cate tripped and slammed into the ground. Greg quickly offered his hand to help her up.

"You ok?" he was concerned.

She nodded as she took his hand and he pulled her up. She looked at the elbow she had landed on. It had a big gash and was bleeding. "Aw, shit," she swore.

"I've got a first aid kit in my car," Greg told her.

"Yeah, but once we go out, we can't get back in," she protested a little. She was tired and wouldn't mind going somewhere a little less loud but didn't want to make Greg leave if he didn't want to.

"It's alright," he replied. "I'm getting pretty hungry, anyway. Maybe we could get something to eat?"

"Ok," Cate agreed, her stomach growling at the mention of food. She realized she'd forgotten to eat dinner.

When they arrived at the car, Cate sat down in the passenger side seat. Greg got his first aid kit from the back and started to work on Cate's wound. She sucked in a breath as he poured some bactine on it, causing it to sting. Greg blew on the wound, trying to help the stinging subside.

She smiled at his gentleness. The last person to do something like this for her was her mother when Cate was about 13. She remembered trying to climb the tree in the park to look at a bird's nest. She had scrapes down her arms and legs that told of her failure in her quest. Cate remembered her mother's smile as she gazed at her daughter and sized up her wounds. It was a memory she hadn't thought of in a while.

"Why are you smiling?" Greg's words brought her back to reality.

She looked at her arm and saw he had finished wrapping it. "I was just thinking about the last time someone was this nice to me."

"Oh?" he said, giving her a smile of his own.

"Yeah, my mom," she told him as she stood to stretch for a moment.

"Not exactly who I was going for," he replied, his eyes tracing her body.

She put a hand on his arm in consolation and looked in to his eyes. He got lost in her beautiful blue eyes and leaned in to kiss her. She put her hands on his chest and halted him, remembering the feel of Grissom's lips from the night before.

"Greg," she said, turning her head away. She had never really thought of Greg as anything more than a friend and she hadn't realized he had any feelings for her. And with her emotions about Grissom so mixed up, she didn't want to be unfair to Greg.

However, before she could say anything else, someone grabbed Greg and flung him around. Then the person threw a punch at him. Cate moved to help him, but was grabbed herself. She saw Greg being held by the man that punched him and then got a punch of her own. She doubled over from the hit in her gut.

She felt a third man straighten her out while the second man got in a few more blows. Greg broke free from the man holding him and they started to exchange hits. The second man knocked Cate around a little more causing her to collapse to the ground, hitting her head. Then he went over and threw a punch that knocked Greg to ground.

"You haven't been forgiven or forgotten," the man who had been holding Cate told her as he kicked her in the ribs. Then the trio departed.

Cate lay on the ground, her head reeling as she tried to maintain consciousness. Her ribs ached and each breath was painful. Greg struggle to his knees and crawled over to where Cate was.

"Are…are you ok?" he wheezed, short of breath.

Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. "I'm so sorry," was her barely audible response. "It's all my fault," she mumbled and then slipped into darkness.


	9. Truth and Consequences

Chapter 9

She heard her cell phone ring and had second thoughts about answering it. It _was_ her first day off in almost a month. Of course, she had taken the day off to spend it with her husband and he'd already disappeared on her.

"Beckett," she answered the phone.

"Caterina," it was Isaiah Killian. "I know it's your day off, but we are swamped. Wou—"

"Where's the scene and what is it?" Cate pre-empted the request she knew was coming.

Killian gave her the address. "It's a single. The police are waiting on you." And he hung up.

She changed into some jeans and a t-shirt. Then she grabbed her kit and headed out the door. She thought about calling her husband to let him know she was on her way out, but decided not to. Part of the reason things had been so tense between the two of them was that he was mad at her for working so much. Of course, he really didn't have room to talk—he was at work just as much as she was.

She pulled up to the house and noted that there was only one police car sitting in front. She checked in with the officer and found out that it was a busy day for them too. The officer left was a rookie so he got stuck babysitting.

Cate walked into the home, talking pictures as she entered. The body was easy to see from the front door. The woman's body was lying in the main hall of the house, a pool of blood around the head with a gaping wound in the forehead. She was looking through the lens, trying to get the photo centered just right when she heard some footsteps. She looked up.

"What…what are you doing here?" she asked the man she saw at the opposite end of the hall.

"You shouldn't be here," the man replied.

She saw that he had on gloves, which wasn't totally out of place. "What are you doing?" she asked again, her hand slowly moving towards her cell phone.

"Working," he responded, giving her an odd smile. "What are _you _doing?"

"Just letting them know you're here," she stated as her eyes drifted to the gun stuck in his front waistband. It wasn't his service weapon; she could still see it in his shoulder holster. This only confirmed her feeling that something wasn't right.

"You need to just turn around and forget you saw anything," he told her.

"You know I can't do that," she pulled the phone off of her belt, looking down to dial.

"Put the phone down," he ordered.

His tone caused her to look up. She saw him pointing the gun from his waistband at her, complete with silencer. Her eyes grew wide. "Let's talk about this. There's an officer right outside."

"And he'll never hear anything," he replied. "Now, are you going to turn around and forget you saw anything or do I need to make you forget everything?"

She started to hit a button on her phone but was cut short. She saw him pull the trigger. She screamed.

She sat up as she instinctively touched her hand to the left side of her chest. "He…he…." She stopped as she opened her eyes and looked around.

"Cate, darlin', it's alright," she heard someone say. She turned to see her Aunt Susan, who had rushed to her side.

Cate also noticed a nurse and Greg, who appeared a bit battered. "What happened?" she asked her aunt.

The older woman looked to Greg. "You don't remember?" Greg questioned.

"I remember the moshing," she replied with the first thing that came to her.

"What about the parking lot?" he inquired.

She started to replay what she could remember from the evening. She remembered the club, the music, moshing, hurting her elbow. Then she remembered outside, the near kiss, the hit that landed on its mark. The look in her eyes told Greg she remembered everything.

She turned to her Aunt. "Can I talk to Greg for a couple minutes alone?"

Her aunt nodded and walked over to the nurse. She hooked her elbow into the other woman's and asked, "I could use some coffee. Could you show me where the cafeteria is?" Then, without waiting for a response, started to walk out of the room, with the nurse in tow.

Once they were alone, Cate motioned for Greg to come close. As he drew near, she could better see the bruises on his face, arms, and knuckles. "Are you ok?"

He smiled, wincing at the pain as it stretched his busted lip. "I'll live. How're you?"

"I'm still in one piece," she responded. "About…about what happened…" She paused, knowing what she was about to ask wouldn't sound right. "Did you, um, call the police?"

Greg was a little surprised by the question. "They came when I called the ambulance," he answered. Her expression soured. "Was I not supposed to?"

She let out a sigh, pondering how to respond. "I'm so sorry you got involved in this," she told him.

"What are you talking about?" he questioned, figuring it had something to do with the man's message to her after assaulting them.

"My ex-husband," she replied.

"You were married?"

"He was a detective," she indirectly answered his question.

"_Was_ a detective?"

"He's now on death row and I helped put him there," she ignored his question, needing to get out what she had to say.

Her words sunk in and he understood. Last night was payback.

"But that's the end of the story. Let me start at the beginning," she said before he could ask any more questions.

Sara paced the length of the hall. She wasn't sure how—or if—she should bring up Grissom's meetings with Cate. She knew they had to be accidents. She figured they couldn't have been anything too memorable because he hadn't even mentioned them to her.

Still, it bothered her that he hadn't told her. If he had run in to Nick or Greg or Warrick or even Catherine, it wouldn't even matter to her. But she didn't know Cate very well and what she did know about the other woman—Grissom was the reason Cate was in science, chance meetings, a curious past, and gifts for Grissom—didn't inspire confidence in her intentions and had all the makings of competition.

Sara shook her head. Jealousy had no place in her life. Grissom was coming home to her, not Cate. Plus, she knew, if Grissom ever didn't want to, he wouldn't.

She heard his keys in her door, causing her to cease pacing. She walked towards the living room where she planned to plop in a chair and pretend like she had been reading. Before she made it though, she caught her expression in the hall mirror; she hadn't realized she had been scowling. She softened her expression, then quickened her step, making it to the chair just in time.

Grissom walked in the door, his arms full of books. Sara looked up from her staged posed. "Hey Gil," she greeted him. Then she put the book down and stood up.

"Sara," he returned her greeting, kissing her on the cheek.

"Rough shift?" she asked, seeing the expression on his face. "You're running a little late," she added, noticing the time.

"Just finishing up some paperwork," he replied.

Sara should have guessed. There was nothing he hated more about his job than the paperwork. "Did you have a chance to get something to eat?" she asked as she walked in to the kitchen. She secretly hoped his answer would be yes, because she wasn't sure if there was anything edible in her refrigerator.

Grissom shook his head, following Sara, placing his books on the table. He'd been too engrossed with the paperwork to take time to eat. Her bringing up food reminded his stomach of how empty it was. "Anything good?" he asked as he peered over her shoulder.

She pulled out a carton of take-out that she believed was only a few days old and sniffed it. "This looks…ok," she turned and handed it to him with a smile.

He returned her smile. He always loved her smile. It was what finally caused him to give in to her. He leaned in and kissed her, placing the container on counter.

She returned his kiss, wrapping her arms around him. After a few moments, she opened her eyes. They were drawn towards the stack of books on the table because she knew he had run in to Cate at the bookstore. As much as she wanted, she couldn't get it out of her mind and she was looking for some excuse to ask him about it. And the top book gave her an excuse.

She withdrew from the kiss and smiled again. Then she turned her head and looked towards the table. "Oh, Thomas Rusetski?" She walked over and grabbed the book. "In the mood for poetry?" She gave him a little wink.

"Oh, I was just thinking of one of his poems the other day…"Grissom half explained.

"Isn't he Cate's uncle?" she questioned.

Grissom was a little surprised. "Great uncle, actually."

"Is she the reason you thought of the poem?" Sara asked, her emotions rising slightly.

Grissom had a feeling he knew where this was going—and he didn't like it. Even more, he didn't like the answer to her question when he really thought about it. "Well, yes," he replied hesitantly. "I, by chance, ran into Cate at the bookstore the other night and it reminded me of a poem about fate that Rusetski wrote."

"Fate," Sara repeated the word, nodding. It was a plausible explanation. "I'm sure with it being the _second_ chance meeting…"

Grissom could see the agitation in her eyes. He wanted to diffuse the situation before it got any worse. "Yes, it was the second time. The first time I happened to help her with a flat tire."

"How come you didn't tell me before?" It sounded more like an accusation than a question.

Grissom took a deep breath. He could tell she'd been thinking about this for a while. He knew Sara's insecurities when he started his relationship with her. But, she had never acted quite like this before. He wondered what it was that really caused her concern. "Do you tell me every time you run in to Greg or Nick?" Grissom replied, trying to shed some logic on to the conversation and because he didn't really know the answer to Sara's question.

She exhaled trying to calm herself. She knew she was getting upset for no reason. "You're right," she conceded.

Grissom felt a tinge of guilt. He knew he wasn't telling her everything.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked, seeing something in his expression.

Grissom pinched the bridge of his nose. She asked and he wasn't a liar. "Cate kissed me."

Sara's face burned a deep red. "And you didn't tell me?" she seethed.

"Sara," he said soothingly. "She kissed me and I quickly stepped back. I told her I was seeing someone and she apologized. I didn't say anything because I knew it would upset you and it was meaningless," he tried to explain, as he slid his arms around her.

She wanted to believe him, but she'd been burned so man times before. Sara broke his hold as she couldn't stop her brain from replaying a scene where Gil and Cate shared a passionate embrace then an even more passionate kiss. She took a few steps back, folding her arms across her chest. "Maybe you should go."

He searched her eyes, trying to figure out if she really wanted him to go or if she was just testing him. "Sara," he again said soothingly, placing a hand on her arm.

She shook it off. "I…I just don't want to say anything I'm going to regret."

He nodded in understanding. She did want him to go. He silently picked up his books and walked to the door. "Call me when you want to talk," he told her and then left.

Sara clamped her eyes shut, fighting back the tears. She believed him, she really did. And she knew she was the one being irrational. But, she couldn't get over the image of Cate kissing Gil. She just needed time. And she was glad he was willing to give it to her.


	10. Fresh Bruises

Chapter 10

Greg walked in to the locker room, knowing as soon as someone saw him he was going to get a lot of questions. His black eye and busted lip looked worse than they actually were. And it's not that he minded the questions; it was the answers that made him uncomfortable. It was Cate—who along with her own black eye and busted lip also had a couple of cracked ribs—that had gotten the brunt of the assault.

Greg ran his hand through his hair, trying to at least cover the cut on his forehead when Nick walked in. Greg quickly pulled his arm behind his locker door, hoping Nick hadn't seen it.

"Wow," Nick exclaimed. "Did you have a good date?" Nick joked seeing the bruise and knowing Greg had gone out with Cate last night.

"It wasn't a date," Greg corrected, still obscuring himself with his locker door. He hadn't made the connection yet.

"Ok," Nick replied, a smile still on his lips. "A good friend with benefits?"

Greg finally realized that Nick had seen the bruise on his arm. He closed his locker and looked straight at Nick. "Not even close."

Nick saw his friend's bruises and his smile quickly turned into a look of concern. "What happened? Are you ok?"

"Cate and I got jumped when we were leaving the club," he told Nick. It was enough of the truth not to be a lie. The whole truth was Cate's and Cate's alone to tell.

"Man, that's rough. Is she ok?" Nick asked.

"They kept her at the hospital for observation," Greg informed him.

"They get the guys that jumped you?" Nick inquired.

Greg shook his head. "Didn't get a good look at 'em either."

"At least ya'll are alright," Nick responded.

"Yeah, it's my pride that's hurt worse than anything," Greg gave a slight grin as the two exited the locker room heading to get assignments for the night. "But, it was three against two."

"Rough odds," Nick light-heartedly responded, trying to make his friend feel better.

Greg's smile grew a little wider at Nick's comment. "I did get in a few good hits," Greg threw a couple air punches, hitting an invisible opponent.

Nick was about to make a comment when Grissom appeared. "What happened to you?" he asked, observing the discoloration in Greg's face. Nick politely excused himself after already having heard the story.

"I got assaulted," Greg responded.

"You too?" Grissom inquired, not realizing that Cate had gone out with Greg the previous evening.

"Me too?" Greg questioned back, not understanding Grissom.

"Cate is in the hospital after being assaulted last night," Grissom told Greg.

It dawned on Greg what Grissom had meant. "I know. I was with her."

Grissom got an odd expression on his face. He didn't realize how many people could be betrayed by a small, single kiss.

Grissom's visage made Greg feel compelled to explain. "Cate and I used to know each other in NYC. We started hanging out again, as friends, when she started at the lab."

"Oh," Grissom replied, his expression softening, almost looking relieved.

Greg was a little surprised at his reaction. He really didn't think that Grissom had much of an attachment to Cate.

Grissom could see the question in Greg's face and quickly tried to focus on something else. "Are you going to be ok for field work tonight?"

"I'm a little banged up, but I'll be fine," the younger man responded.

Grissom nodded and started in to the conference room. "Then let's get going on these assignments."

A few days later, Cate was starting on her assignments. She'd spent her first hour back answering questions and assuring everyone she was fine. She was grateful for their concern, but frustrated by its interference. She didn't want to give Ecklie one more nail in her coffin. She had finally gotten into the lab and put on her headphones, pretending she couldn't hear anyone.

Cate had been working for a couple hours interruption free when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It startled her so much that she dropped a bottle of dye, splashing some on her shirt. She turned quickly to see who was behind her.

"Catherine," she sighed in relief.

Catherine saw the other woman jump. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"It's ok," Cate replied. "I was just…lost in work." She motioned to all the items in front of her.

"I wanted to make sure you were doing alright," Catherine told her. "I didn't have time to see you in the hospital."

Cate smiled as much as her sore face would let her. "I'm doing fine. Thank you for asking."

"I've heard the police don't know who assaulted you and Greg," Catherine replied with a knowing tone.

Cate understood what Catherine was getting at. "Paul's still behind bars. They checked."

"Do you think he still might have had something to do with it?" Catherine questioned.

Cate shrugged. "I don't know. He doesn't really know where I am. And since Greg and I weren't killed, and neither of us has received any threats, they aren't really checking into his visitor logs or anything like that. Not that Greg or I could pick out the guys anyway."

"I've got a favor or two I could call in," Catherine offered.

Cate shook her head. "It's alright. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know," Catherine responded, placing a hand on Cate's shoulder. Then she left Cate to her work.

Cate spun back around and started to clean up the dye that had spilt. As she did so, she saw the spot on her own shirt. She cursed her luck under her breath and then remembered she had some extra clothes in the bag in her locker. She looked at her watch and figured she could take a quick ten-minute break and change her shirt.

She left her seat and headed towards the locker room. Once inside, she grabbed the bag out of her locker and started rummaging around in it for her shirt. Her hand brushed against the package inside. She had forgotten the books were in her bag. She pulled them out and set them on the bench. Then she grabbed her spare shirt and changed.

Cate picked up the books, figuring she would just stick them in Grissom's office since he hadn't arrived yet. She really didn't want a big deal made about the books or have Grissom get the wrong idea about them. She only wanted him to have the books—no strings attached.

She quietly slinked in to his office, making sure no one saw her. She placed the books on his desk and then turned to leave. She was just stepping out of his office when she ran in to him entering.

"M-Mr. Grissom," she stammered, reverting to her former formality. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," he replied. Then, as he entered the office past her, realizing she was coming out of it, he asked, "What were you doing in my office?"

She turned around so that she was facing him again. "I was just…didn't think you were…the books. I was just leaving the books," she finally got out.

He picked up the package on his desk. "I don't think I can accept these." He offered them back to her.

She held up her hands in refusal. "It's not like that," she replied. "Last week was…a mistake. Plus I offered them to you before…" her voice trailed off, not knowing what else to call what had happened.

Grissom hesitantly put the books back on his desk. "Thank you."

She nodded her acknowledgement and then turned to leave. She put her hand on the door as she started to walk out. She paused and instead of leaving, closed the door. Grissom looked up when he heard the door latch. He had stopped paying attention to her when she had turned to leave.

"You don't think the you're the reason I'm here, do you?" she turned back to face him.

Grissom was a little surprised by the question. "I hadn't really thought about it."

"Ok," she sighed in relief and then quickly added, "And just so you know, I'm here because Ecklie was the only one willing to take a chance on me."

"I did know that," Grissom responded. "Killian told me about what happened."

Her eyes grew wide. She had thought for sure that Grissom would have been one of the first to seek her ouster after finding out. "You spoke to Killian? When?" her tone was almost accusatory as she sat down in a chair across the desk from Grissom.

"After the incident with Xavier Weston," he answered. "Ecklie made an off-handed comment about you being out in the field and so I decided to talk to Killian."

"Dammit," she hit the arm of the chair. "Did you ask Ecklie before you called him?"

Grissom gave her an incredulous look. "I don't have to clear my phone calls through Ecklie, no matter what he may believe."

"You don't understand," she tried to fight the tears welling up in her eyes.

Grissom found her reaction very curious. He tried to show that he understood by explaining, "Killian told me that your ex-husband was a dirty cop who tampered with evidence and killed multiple people among other things. And that suspicion arose around your veracity as an investigator, pretty much forcing you to leave Atlanta."

"Did he tell you that one of the charges was attempted murder on me?" she asked, spitting the words out, as she pulled down the collar of her shirt, revealing two scars above her left breast. "It was my day off but I went in to process a scene anyway. He was there, cleaning up the evidence. Then he took two shots, close range," she stated. "And you know why I'm still alive?" She paused, waiting for one of the pat answers she generally received like God or fate.

Always the scientist Grissom answered, "Dextrocardia?"

"That's wr—" she was getting ready to say wrong when what he responded hit her. "Right," she completed her sentence, most of her anger dissipating from the shock of his correct answer.

"Is it just dextrocardia or is it situs inversus?" Grissom's curiousity got the best of him.

"Situs inversus," she replied, still a little taken aback that he was right.

He saw the look on her face. "Sorry. I've read about it, but never seen it."

"It's…it's ok," she responded. Then, getting back to the original topic, she added, "I just wish you hadn't called Killian."

"He only spoke positively of you," Grissom offered.

"It's not that. It's that now he knows where I am," she said.

"Who? Killian?" Grissom didn't quite understand.

"No, Paul," she told him, realizing that the incident last week was probably just the beginning.

It dawned on Grissom that she thought her ex-husband might have had something to do with her attack. And he was the one that gave away her location.


	11. Healing Touch

Chapter 11

Sara rounded the corner to the hall where Grissom's office was located. As she started into the hall, she saw Cate leaving Grissom's office. She froze where she stood and covered her face with her report hoping that Cate would turn the other way. And she did.

Sara stood there for another minute. She was trying to calm herself. She hadn't really spoken to Grissom outside of work since he told her that Cate had kissed him. She thought she had finally made peace with it, but seeing Cate coming out of his office brought back all of her emotions. She took another deep breath and then headed towards the lab. She _had_ come in early to get some work done.

As she passed Grissom's office she noticed him handling a brown paper wrapped package. She recognized it as the package Cate had in her bag for Grissom. Her face flushed again with anger. Then she quickly chastised herself. Grissom had been honest with her, albeit a little late, but still, he told her the truth. She knew that she had waited long enough for Grissom that one little kiss shouldn't end it. She knocked on his door.

He looked up and was a little surprised to see her. Firstly because it wasn't time for her shift to start and secondly because she had been avoiding him lately. He quickly tried to push the package into a drawer and out of the way. He didn't want to give her one more reason to be mad.

"It's alright," Sara said as she entered. "I know those are the books from Cate. She was going to give them to you the day she got attacked."

Grissom just nodded, not knowing how to respond. Sara stood there not knowing how to say what she wanted to. After a moment of awkward silence he asked, "What can I do for you?"

She let out a long sigh. "I…," she decided it probably wasn't best to do this here, so she finished, "Just wanted to know if you wanted to have dinner after shift?"

"That'd be great," Grissom replied, giving her a small smile.

She returned his smile, feeling good about her decision. She didn't want to be the one person coming between her and Grissom. "I'll see you later, then," she responded as she turned and left his office.

It seemed like she had no sooner disappeared out of sight then his phone rang.

"Grissom," he answered.

"Gil, it's Catherine," the woman responded. "I need your help, if you're not busy."

"What's going on?" Grissom asked.

"There's been a shoot out. Numerous db's, some of them officers, one of them Xavier Weston," Catherine explained. "Bring anyone you can."

Cate was busy in the lab processing the mountain of evidence in front of her. So busy, that she didn't notice Greg walk in behind her.

"Cate," he said, trying to get her attention.

She jumped. "Hey," she greeted him as she turned around. She hadn't really talked to him since the night at the hospital. She'd been lying low and resting.

"Do you have any of the reports from yesterday?" he asked.

"Ummm…" she turned back around and started looking through the paper stack on the table. She found one and turned back around. "This is all I have. There is a ton of stuff. What happened?"

Greg took the report from her. "Man, last night was crazy. Apparently, Xavier Weston had found another of his father's sperm bank babies. Weston went to the house and killed the child, who was actually more of a man at 18. As it turns out, the police were already on their way there to do a welfare check because the kid's parents had been seen since Friday. The police surprised Weston. There was a shoot out. And so you have numerous DNA and biological samples."

"Aaaahhhh," Cate nodded. "So Weston was guilty?"

"It appears so," Greg responded.

"Wait, you said a welfare check? What happened to the parents?" Cate was curious.

Greg shook his head. "Not quite sure, but it appears they were dead before Weston got there."

"Weird," she replied and turned back around to her seemingly growing work pile.

"Very," Greg looked up from the report to see the back of her head. He hesitated, wanting to ask her something else. "So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to go hear this band on—"

Cate quickly turned back around and placed a hand on his arm stopping him. "I don't think we should hang out anymore," she stated.

"Cate," he replied. "If it's about last week…"

"It's not just about last week," she stood and took a test tube over to a side table. "It's about the last year and a half of my life. I don't want to get you mixed up in it all. You've already been injured once," she motioned to the yellowing bruises on his face. "I can't ask you to put yourself in harm's way."

"You haven't asked," Greg responded. "I've offered."

Cate turned from him, trying not to lose her composure. She knew she hadn't known Greg long, but he had become a good friend. He had proven trustworthy. And that's more than she could say for a lot of the people she had known.

"Cate," he put his hand on her shoulder causing her to turn back around. He put one hand on either shoulder and looked her straight in the eyes. "If I had to choose between being in danger and being with you or never seeing you again and being safe, I'd pick you every time."

"Thank you," it was barely above a whisper. She then threw her arms around him to show how much his words meant to her.

Greg was a little taken aback. He hadn't expected this as a reaction. He wrapped his arms around her and returned her embrace. It made his heart skip a beat. He knew he was falling for her.

Grissom walked into the lab and saw the two embracing. He felt something but he wasn't quite sure what it was. He had felt the same thing when he had seen Xavier Weston kiss Cate, but he had thought that it was disgust. Now that he had experienced again under these circumstances, he wasn't quite so sure. He stood silent for a moment.

"Well, if you're willing to put your life on the line, why don't you let me cook dinner for you next time your off?" she asked Greg, a slight smile returning to her face. She still hadn't noticed Grissom.

"I'd like that," Greg replied.

Grissom cleared his throat, attempting to alert them that he was present. They quickly took a step back from one another. Greg ran a nervous hand through his hair and Cate quickly crossed her arms.

"Can I help you, Mr. Grissom?" she inquired.

Grissom winced a little at "Mister." He had noticed she had gone back to using it and wondered the reason. "I wanted to know if you had any reports on the evidence from last night."

She pointed to Greg. "I was just coming to show you," Greg answered Grissom's question as he walked towards his supervisor, holding out the folder.

"I'll get you the rest of the results as I get them," Cate added.

Grissom just nodded as he turned and left, letting her get back to work. Greg followed, turning around right before exiting. He held his hand to his head like a phone and mouthed, "I'll call you." Cate smiled and nodded. Then she got back to work.

A week later Cate was still working, but this time it was to put the finishing touches on the dinner she had made for Greg. They had been chatting about how hectic work had been since the shoot-out, which still had many unanswered questions, especially what happened to the child's parents.

She grabbed the plates, having completed the dishes. "Let's go in to the dining room," she motioned with her elbow for Greg to follow her.

She set the plates down and then sat down herself. She hoped that she hadn't messed up the food. She hadn't made something this complicated in a while.

"Wow, this is good," Greg told her. "I didn't know you could cook."

Cate smiled. "My mom dated a few chefs when I was growing up. I'd ask them to show me some tips trying to get a long with them. I've also picked up some musical ability, some photography, sculpting…basically anything creative." Cate laughed. "Not that I'm really good at any of it."

"Well, this is very tasty," he assured her with a smile. Then, remembering something she had told him, he asked, "Your mom was a painter, wasn't she?"

Cate nodded, finishing her bite of food. "And she sought other artistic people."

"What about your dad?" Greg inquired. He couldn't remember her ever mentioning him.

"Mom said he was a writer," Cate answered.

"You didn't know your dad?" Greg's face showed his disbelief.

Cate smiled again. "My mom met him while she was in Europe studying painting. They fell in love, got married, my mom got pregnant and he got lost."

"So you've never met your father?"

Cate just shrugged her shoulders. "And mom didn't talk about him much either. She was too busy bouncing from boyfriend to boyfriend. It's why I blame her for my bad taste in men." Cate let out a little laugh to make sure Greg knew she was kidding about the last part.

Greg, realizing a bit of truth in her statement, replied, "Ahhh, the reason behind Dietrich. I never did understand what anyone saw in him." Greg grinned.

"Well, he did throw great parties," Cate laughed again.

Greg's smile got wider and Cate could tell he was thinking about something specific, some memory about one of the wild get togethers.

"What?" Cate asked, poking him playfully in the arm.

"I, um, lost my virginity because of one of his parties," Greg told her.

"Which one?" Cate jokingly questioned.

Greg didn't realize she was joking and answered, "Halloween of '97. There was this girl dressed as one of the members of Kiss. At first I thought she was a guy, but when I found out she was a girl…well...we left the party together and…made beautiful music." Greg laughed at his own cheesiness.

Cate was trying to recover from choking on the bite of food she had almost swallowed whole. "You were dressed as Marilynn Manson?" she inquired between coughs.

Greg nodded, a little unsure of what she was getting at. Cate was still trying to stop coughing. "Do you know who she was?" Greg asked, figuring Cate probably knew most of the people at the party. "I never did get her name."

Cate nodded, having finally regained her composure. "Yeah. That was me."

This time it was Greg who choked. "What?"

"Dietrich dumped me the day before the party. I was so mad, but I wasn't going to let it keep me from going. I dressed up so that he wouldn't recognize me," Cate explained.

Greg face had grown a little red. "So should I apologize and leave now?"

Cate thought Greg's reaction was cute. "Why should you apologize? I don't remember anything you should be sorry for." She gave him a sly grin.

Greg's expression quickly changed. He raised an eyebrow and half-smiled. "I promise I've gotten better since then," he teased.

Cate paused for a moment, trying to decide if there was hidden meaning in his statement and if there was, if she'd like to explore it. He was thoughtful, out-going, kind—all the things that usually weren't found in the men that liked her. Not to mention he was attractive. And she was feeling a little rejected. She figured she could play it off as a joke if he wasn't serious. "Want to show me?" she asked, placing her hand on his knee.


	12. Rejection

Chapter 12

Greg stretched as he stood, getting out of the bed and running a hand through his hair. He squinted as he walked towards the window where sunlight streamed in through the slightly parted curtains. The light warmed his skin just as her touch had. He turned to look at the bed, knowing that she wasn't there. And he began to wonder if he had made the right decision.

Cate was in the bathroom getting ready to take a shower. She caught a glimpse of the scar in the area of her left shoulder blade in the mirror and took a minute to study it. She hadn't really given it much thought before because it was hard for her to see, unlike its mate above her left breast. In fact, she had almost forgotten it was there. But now, she couldn't help but notice it, probably because Grissom had noticed it. And that was part of the reason she had propositioned Greg.

Cate had been sitting in Dr. Robbins' office. She was allowing herself to be used as a guinea pig for his curiosity. He had heard from Grissom about her rare medical condition and wanted to see for himself. She was always glad to be a part of a knowledge-gaining experience, plus she was returning a favor.

She was flipping through a magazine and listening to her mp3 player, waiting for Dr. Robbins to return. He had a visitor at the front that couldn't wait. Her shirt had been replaced with a too-big medical gown, with the opening towards the front. The left shoulder had failed to cooperate and was hanging down towards the middle of her arm, exposing the area of her left shoulder blade as she sat with her back towards the door.

Grissom knocked on the door as he opened it, expecting to find Dr. Robbins. "Albert," he said as he walked in, not noticing Cate at first. He looked to his right and paused when he saw her. He figured since she hadn't turned—and the fact that he could hear her music—that she hadn't heard him.

He was about to back out of the room, recognizing that Dr. Robbins wasn't there, until he noticed the scar on her back. His mind flashed to the scar she had showed him previously and realized it must have been from the same incident. He unconsciously took a couple steps forward and touched it, fascinated by the placement of the through and through.

Cate felt the touch on her back. She started to swing her legs around and over the table, anticipating the return of Dr. Robbins. It didn't even cross her mind that it may be someone else, because she had thought he had locked the door on his way out.

"So, how do you want me?" she playfully asked as she looked down to shut off her mp3 player and pulled out her earphones. She froze when she looked up and saw Grissom. She was embarrassed, both by her joke and the fact she was only half dressed.

Grissom took a step back in astonishment. It hadn't registered with him that she would feel his touch. And as he did so, he couldn't help but noticed her bare legs that were exposed due to her choice of a skirt that day.

"S-sorry, Mr. Grissom," Cate muttered when she could finally get her mouth to work.

Grissom noticed he was still standing a little close and her naked flesh made him awkwardly uncomfortable so he decided to take another step back. However, with this step, his heel landed on something that wasn't the floor, causing him to lose his balance. He overcompensated for his backward motion and ended up reeling forward. He finally caught himself with one hand on the table next to Cate and the other on her bare knee. His face was only a few inches from hers.

Cate felt the warmth of his hand on her skin and his breath on her cheek. For a moment, her mind wandered as it often did. She saw a brief flash of herself grabbing him and laying a passionate kiss on him. In return, he would take her right there, on Dr. Robbins' table, regardless of who might walk in.

She got a little too caught up in her own imagination and let out a breathy sigh, "Gil…"

He froze when she said his name. He'd never heard her use it and the way she said it—he couldn't quite grasp the way it made him feel. He raised an intrigued eyebrow.

For a moment, they gazed in to each other's eyes. He shifted slightly and Cate's heart started to pound, thinking he was going to kiss her. But then the doorknob started to squeak as it was turned and he, instead, straightened up, taking a few careful steps back.

Dr. Robbins soon appeared through the door, preoccupied with the file in his hands. "Sorry, Cate," he apologized as he looked up and then saw the other man. "Gil, I didn't know you were in here."

"I was just coming to ask you a question about the Smith autopsy, but I didn't realize you were busy," Grissom replied, motioning to Cate.

Dr. Robbins half-smiled. "Always a sucker for rare medical conditions. And the fact that such a beautiful girl has it doesn't hurt," he gave a wink to Cate.

Cate blushed and giggled nervously. She and Dr. Robbins had become friends in the past few weeks after she discovered that he had had a hand in her actually getting hired on. As she had found out, Dr. Robbins' wife was friends with her Aunt Susan and they played a weekly card game. Cate's aunt had spoken very highly of her to Mrs. Robbins, who had passed along some of the stories to Dr. Robbins. And, when Dr. Robbins heard Ecklie talking about a new batch of resumes, he spoke up for Cate. It was a favor she'd never be able to fully repay. So, normally, Dr. Robbins' statement would have just been another joke between them, but after what had just occurred with Grissom, it seemed awkward.

"I can wait," Cate offered, knowing lab business always came first.

"It wasn't that important," Grissom responded, walking towards the door.

"I'll come find you when we're done," Dr. Robbins told Grissom. "Unless you want to stay for the ultrasound…"

Grissom looked uncomfortably at Cate. "I've got other business to attend to," he replied and then disappeared out the door.

Dr. Robbins noticed the odd look Grissom gave Cate and wondered what had occurred before he walked in the room. "What was that about?" he decided to ask.

Cate rolled her eyes. "Grissom…" was her only response and Dr. Robbins seemed to understand.

Inside, however, Cate had felt rejected all over again. She still knew he was seeing someone, but didn't understand how he could deny his attraction to her. Or maybe she was projecting her own confusion about her attraction to him on to him. Either way, it only depressed her.

So that night, when Greg showed up, smiling, smelling good, she wanted some approval. She knew it was wrong and that if Greg had known what had happened that day, her motives, he wouldn't have thought twice about turning her down. She just figured since they'd already crossed the line—even though it was almost a decade ago—that it couldn't hurt to do it one more time. And it wasn't like she didn't like him—she did—but she couldn't shake Gil's eyes. Still, she hadn't counted on one thing; Greg was a gentleman.

Greg turned back to look out the window of his apartment, almost wishing he had taken Cate up on her offer. He thought about how he could be lying next to her right now, instead of alone. He knew, however, he'd made the right decision. He cared for her greatly but knew she didn't quite feel the same—at least not yet. And he didn't want to mess things up by sleeping with her too soon. So he had turned her down, after a few moments of serious consideration, playing it off as a joke, even though he had known she was serious.

Greg looked at his watch. It was time to get ready for his day. He stripped off his remaining clothes as he walked in to the bathroom, preparing for a shower. He only hoped things wouldn't be awkward between him and Cate as the water washed away the last remaining feelings of her touch.

Cate stepped out of the shower, the water not having washed away her sadness and guilt. She had hoped things would be going better than this. She knew this was her last chance at working in a forensics lab and she had hoped if she did a good job for a few years, maybe, just maybe, she'd get the chance to be a CSI again. But now, she thought, it looked like she was about to screw it up, just like she'd screwed up everything else. Only this time, there would be no second chances.

A couple days later, Sara had come in early, which was becoming a common practice of hers, to get some work done. She had been trying to find a quiet place to work, when she noticed the DNA lab was empty. She figured that Cate was on her dinner break and wouldn't mind if Sara used the lab while she was out. Sara cleared a little bit of counter space off and got to work.

Cate had been stressed out her entire shift. Things had been fine between her and Greg but there was more work than two people could get done and Ecklie was all over her to finish it. She finally decided to get something to eat just so she didn't pass out. She figured some caffeine wouldn't hurt either, because she hadn't had much sleep. However, she spent the entire time trying to figure out the best and quickest way to get her work done.

Cate walked into the DNA lab and stopped, seeing Sara sitting at one of the lab tables. "What are you doing?" she asked very curtly.

Sara looked up, a little put off by her tone. "I was just looking for a quiet place to work."

Cate restarted her walk towards Sara and noticed that the other woman had moved some of her equipment. "Did…did you move that?" Cate questioned, motioning towards the equipment. She had to do everything she could to keep her cool.

"Yeah. I cleared some space to work," Sara replied, returning some of Cate's annoyance.

"Do you normally move other people's work?" Cate asked through clenched teeth.

Sara had had enough of her attitude. "I moved some test tubes, it's not a big deal," she said as she stood.

"Yes, it is a big deal," Cate responded, moving a little too close to Sara. "You've messed up the specific order of the vials and messed up my test!"

"Sorry," Sara replied unconvincingly, taking a couple steps towards the door. "Can I help fix it?" she added, realizing their conversation didn't need to be so heated.

"I'll fix it myself," Cate spit back, motioning for Sara to leave. And right before Sara got to the door, Cate added, "Oh, and I meant to ask, how is the Eggplant Parmesan?"

Sara stopped and turned back to look at Cate, her face a little flush. "Um, whose Eggplant Parmesan?"

"Rocio's," Cate replied, with a smirk on her face.

The red of Sara's face deepened. She knew they'd been seen. She tried to think of something to say to rebuff Cate's question, but nothing came.

After a brief moment of Sara's silence, Cate continued, "I guess I could just ask Mr. Grissom. He was with you."

"Are you following us?" Sara questioned, not knowing what else to say and knowing she couldn't deny it. She and Grissom had eaten dinner at Rocio's the day before. They had figured it was such a small out of the way place that no one would see them. Obviously, they were wrong.

"Actually, I have a standing reservation there. Rocio was a friend of my grandmother's," Cate replied with the truth. Her grandmother had been a bookkeeper and often helped friends with their accounting. Ten years ago, Rocio had approached Cate's grandmother for help and in return she received an open reservation that was passed down to Cate when her grandmother died.

Last night, Cate had decided to go to Rocio's. She hadn't been in a couple weeks and really didn't feel like cooking. She had had a pleasant meal and was just getting ready to leave when she saw Grissom.

She tried to hide her face by looking for some imaginary thing in her purse while trying to decide if she should say hi. When she had finally looked back up, she saw that he was with someone. She didn't want to disturb them so she quietly paid her bill. As she was exiting, she turned around out of curiosity to see who was with Grissom and saw it Sara.

"Well, then, you should know," Sara replied, having thought of something to say at last.

"Whatever you say," Cate sneered and started back to work. After a few minutes, she looked up to see Sara still standing there and added, "You can leave now."

Sara shot Cate a dirty look and left. She knew she needed to find Grissom and tell him about their conversation. But two steps out of the room Sara got a call. She had a crime scene to go to. Her conversation would just have to wait.


	13. Confrontation

Chapter 13

Cate kicked herself for her exchange with Sara. The last thing she needed right now was to piss someone off, especially someone like Sara. She was already on thin ice and knew that one more wrong move and she was out. She just hoped this wasn't that move.

She searched her brain, trying to figure how to make things right when Sara returned. She knew that Grissom was at a different scene, so she might have a chance to talk to Sara before Sara could talk to Grissom. She knew, however, that Sara was not going to be receptive no matter what she had to say.

Cate was lost in her thoughts until some approaching footsteps brought her back to reality. She looked up, hoping it wasn't more trouble.

"I need this processed ASAP," Sara icily told Cate and then turned to leave.

"Sara," Cate called, trying to get her to turn around. It was obvious Sara was still angry. When Sara didn't turn, Cate quickly added, "I'm sooo sorry about earlier."

Sara turned after the apology. "I don't want your apologies."

"Sara, I would never say anything to anyone. I would never do something like that to hurt…" Cate paused about to say Grissom, but realized that would be the wrong thing to say. "Y—," she started to finish but Sara cut her off.

"Grissom," Sara forcefully interrupted. "But you would never do something like that to hurt Grissom." The look in Sara's eyes told Cate that Sara was well aware of her interactions with Grissom.

"Wouldn't do something like what to hurt Grissom?" Grissom asked, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

Both women looked at Grissom in surprise. Then, Sara shot Cate a look that asked whether or not Cate wanted to come clean.

"I was at Rocio's last night," Cate told him.

Grissom's expression changed as he realized what her statement was meant to convey. It was one of the rare times that Grissom was left speechless.

"But I would never do anything to hurt you…either of you," Cate insisted. "I was upset earlier and took it out on Sara. I'm very sorry."

Sara, still silent, looked at Grissom. She wanted him to take care of this right now. She gave him a demanding look.

Cate noticed Sara's expression. "Look, I need this job. Can't we just forget this happened?"

"Why would you need this job?" Sara spit back. "You're a PhD, have years as a CSI, worked in a DNA lab for years and a medical lab before that," Sara mockingly stated. "You could be making a lot more money elsewhere."

Cate was a little surprised Sara knew so much about her past. She could only assume that Grissom had told her some and she had researched the other. Apparently, though, Grissom hadn't told her about Cate's ex-husband.

"It's not that simple," Cate responded.

"How?" Sara demanded.

"Sara," Grissom broke in, trying to calm her. "This is not the time."

Sara turned towards Grissom. She was a little shocked that Grissom apparently knew what Cate was talking about. "Well, I seem to be the only one not filled in, so why not educate me."

Cate let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. It was going to come out sooner or later. "Because no one else will hire me."

Sara hadn't expected that as an answer. Her tone was a bit softer as she asked, "Why?"

"I…I was tried for tampering with evidence," Cate responded and then immediately regretted saying it because she remembered she hadn't told that part of her history to Grissom yet.

Both Sara and Grissom gave Cate incredulous looks. This was not what Grissom had known to be the reason. He knew there had been some suspicion about her veracity due to her ex-husband, but didn't know it had peaked in a trial.

Cate saw the shock in both faces and so continued, trying to make it better, "I was found not guilty."

"Did you do it?" Sara inquired, feeling a little bit of hubris at hearing the other woman's fault.

"I have never fabricated evidence," Cate responded truthfully looking directly at Grissom with pleading in her eyes. She needed him to believe her. His was the only opinion in the room that she cared about, but she knew it was too late. She saw the disappointment in his eyes. She continued to talk directly to Grissom, "But just having been tried, it makes it hard to find someone willing to take a chance on me. And Ecklie was willing to take that chance."

"Ecklie doesn't take a chance on anyone," Sara snidely replied, attempting to make Cate look at her.

Cate shook her head trying to contain her growing anger. She turned, staring straight at Sara, "You're right. He wanted my experience without having to pay for it."

"Now that sounds like Ecklie," Sara responded.

"And this doesn't sound like you at all," Grissom broke in to the heated exchange.

"You're going to take her side?" the excited Sara questioned.

"There are no sides to choose from," Grissom replied.

"Thank you," Cate said to Grissom.

Grissom could see Sara was about to explode. "Sara, in my office," he commanded, he knew he had to separate them.

She started to protest, but he would have none of it. "In my office," he repeated forcefully.

Sara begrudgingly complied and followed Grissom in to his office. Cate was left in the lab, taking deep breaths trying to calm her nerves.

"Sara, you cannot behave this way at the lab," Grissom chastised her, leaning against his desk.

"She is the one who smugly brought up the fact that she saw us together," Sara explained in a quiet, fact-paced voice, sitting on the edge of her chair.

"Did you think that no one would ever find out?" Grissom tried to be logical.

"I knew someone would find out someday, but not now—not her," Sara replied.

"What is your problem with Cate?" Grissom asked.

"Excuse me?" Sara answered, not believing his question. "She's kissed you, which means she likes you. Not to mention the fact that she's intelligent, talented and beautiful. I think I have the right to be jealous."

Grissom placed a hand on Sara's shoulder and looked in to her eyes. "Sara," he quietly started. "My feelings for you run deeper than a pretty face or witty quip can touch. You have nothing to be jealous of."

Sara let out an unsteady sigh. "I'm sorry," it was barely above a whisper.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Grissom responded.

Back at the DNA lab, Greg had just walked in after Sara and Grissom had walked out. Cate's distress was obvious and Greg felt compelled to make her feel better.

"What happened?" Greg inquired, figuring that asking if she was okay was moot.

"I just got in to an argument with Sara," Cate answered honestly. She knew she could trust Greg.

He placed his hand on her back. "She can be a bitch sometimes," Greg tried to console her.

Cate was torn. She wanted to tell him what they had been arguing about, but didn't know how without telling him about Grissom and Sara dating. "I…I deserved some of it," Cate told him. "I'm just so stressed out."

"Anything I can help with?" Greg offered.

"I don't think Ecklie would approve the over time," Cate replied, motioning to the piles of work in front of her.

"He's let me take one for the team before," Greg rebutted her.

"Thank you, but I don't want you to do that for me," Cate told him. Then her conscience caught up with her. "Because I think you want to do it for the wrong reasons."

"And what reasons would those be?" Greg inquired.

"There…there's someone else," Cate spit out.

Greg's demeanor fell, as did his hand. "Ohhhh. That explains a lot."

"It's not what you think. We're not dating. It's really an unrequited thing," Cate tried to make Greg feel better.

"I'll still help you," Greg responded softly. He hadn't volunteered just to win her over. He did genuinely care for her.

"Greg, someday, I'm going to get over this…thing…and I hope when I do, you'll still be single. And until then, I hope we can still be friends and hang out," she stated, although she figured it was a long shot.

"Sure," Greg unconvincingly replied.

"I better get back to work," Cate informed him, trying to give him an out.

"Ok," Greg responded, taking it. "I'll talk to you later."

"I certainly hope so," Cate called after him as he left. She did hope so, even though she knew it probably wouldn't be so, or at least, it would be a long while before it was so.


	14. Homecoming

Chapter 14

Grissom heard the knock on his office door. "Come in," he called, not lifting his head from the book he was searching for answers.

"Mr. Grissom," Cate greeted him.

He looked up at the sound of his name, closing the book quickly. The breeze from closing it caused some papers to be blown off the desk. "What can I do for you Cate?" he asked as he bent over to pick up the papers.

"I just wanted to apologize to you about the argument with Sara," she stated as she walked towards him. "I hope you know I would never do anything to jeopardize your position."

He finished picking up the papers and looked up, finding himself looking directly at Cate's calves. She was half-sitting on his desk next to the closed book, the desk causing more of her legs to be revealed due to her skirt bunching on the edge. His eyes traveled up her legs and then to her face that held an enticing smile.

"I never thought you would," Grissom awkwardly replied.

"And I would do anything to make sure you believe me," Cate told him, placing her hand on his arm. "Anything."

Grissom stood swiftly and took a step back, his uneasiness growing, yet he was still intrigued by her innuendo. He was a little perplexed at her forwardness, especially after the exchange with Sara. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts.

Cate wasn't about to let her offer go unanswered and quickly followed Grissom's motion. She grabbed him and shoved him against the wall, ardently kissing him. He fought her for a brief second, but then gave in, knowing he couldn't deny his attraction to her anymore.

He slid his arms around her waist and then pushed her up against his desk. She again half-sat on the desk, her lips not leaving his. He slid his hand down her side to the bottom of her skirt and then started to slide it back up, bringing her skirt with his hand. She wrapped her other leg around him as she reached for his belt to unbuckle it. She was beginning to undo his pants when he heard a beeping sound.

It took his brain a few minutes to realize the sound was his alarm clock. He opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep from them. His interaction with Cate had just been a dream, although he could still feel traces of her lips on his. He sat up and stretched, clearing the fog from his head. Now he would just have to figure out a way to clear the image of Cate from his head.

Cate was once again on his mind as Grissom walked down the lab hallway on his way to Catherine's office. Cate, for the second day, wasn't in the lab and he was concerned. He didn't know if maybe her and Sara's altercation had gotten back to Ecklie. He didn't want Sara's jealousy to cause Cate to lose her job.

"Catherine," he greeted her as he walked in the door.

"What's up, Gris?" Catherine responded.

"Cate was working on a project for me the other day, do you happen to know where she is?" Grissom asked, not wanting to raise suspicions.

"She called yesterday not sounding very well and said something about food poisoning. I tried calling her today, but didn't receive an answer. She better be really ill, because if not, Ecklie's going to fire her," Catherine informed him. She was puzzled by the change in Grissom's expression and so added, "Greg is filling in for her in the lab if you needed the project finished," thinking Grissom was worried about his project.

"It's just not like her to not call or answer," Grissom replied. "She lives with her aunt. Did you try her home number?"

Catherine was a little more perplexed by his response and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. If she didn't know Grissom better, she would have thought he might actually be worried about Cate. "No, I didn't try the home number," she told him. "But I wouldn't expect her Aunt to answer. Cate mentioned that her Aunt was going on a cruise."

"Ok, thanks Cath," he replied. "Let me know if you hear from her," he requested as he left, appearing preoccupied.

Grissom's preoccupation didn't remain long. The shift soon picked up and he was engrossed in other activities. It wasn't until he was on his way home that he thought about the fact that no one had heard from Cate. And after he passed the spot where he had once stopped to help her, he decided to stop by her home to check on her.

He pulled up the driveway, noticing Cate's car and her motorcycle. He knew this meant she was more than likely home, but it didn't mean she would answer. He would just have to knock and see.

After he knocked he waited a couple minutes and then knocked again. He thought he heard some shuffling around inside and something fall to the ground, so he knocked a third time, but louder. After another minute he heard someone approach the door. Then the door opened just enough for Cate to appear, her face discolored from a growing bruise.

The bruise, which was actually one of many, had started a day and a half earlier. Cate had left the lab, still aggravated from her quarrel with Sara. She had returned home and had wanted to go to bed, but couldn't. So, she decided she would expend some energy.

Cate changed in to some exercise clothes and picked out a CD. When she came to stay with her aunt, one of the spare rooms was turned in to a small dance studio and that is where Cate headed. She put in the CD, turned it up full blast and then tried to tune out the rest of the world.

After attempting one difficult move, she tripped and started to fall. She knew she wouldn't be able to catch herself, so she braced for the impact. Before she hit the ground, however, someone caught her. She looked up to see who it was.

She quickly tried to get away from her rescuer, but he grabbed her wrist and held on tightly. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she nearly yelled, still trying to wrestle free.

"No, 'Welcome home, honey'?" Paul Beckett sneered. The 6'2" Paul didn't even look like he was breaking a sweat as he kept his hold on the 5'5" Cate.

Cate threw some punches and kicks trying to free herself, a few of which hit their mark. They barely caused him to flinch. Cate was no slouch physically, but Paul had always been fit and as he had spent the last six months with nothing to do but work out he was now a rock.

He threw a couple punches of his own, the last one knocking her to the ground. "I see you're still a bitch."

She spit a glob of blood. "And I see you're still a jackass."

"Ha ha," he mocked her then kicked her in the head, causing her to lose consciousness.

She woke up sometime later to find him on top of her. She could barely move, her head still filled with fog, her vision a bit gauzy. She tried to push him off and muttered a weak 'No'. Then she slipped back in to the darkness.

Later she was awakened by the feel of cold water on her skin. She opened her eyes to find herself lying in the bathtub, the shower turned on. For a brief moment, she couldn't figure out how she got there and then her memory came back. She looked out to the bathroom, to find Paul standing in the doorway.

"Good, you're awake," he smirked and then quickly frowned. "I was worried you might not. I didn't mean to kick you so hard."

She rolled her eyes. "Fuck you," she replied, knowing that he was being insincere.

"Been there, done that," he told her, his smirk returning. He pulled out a pistol and pointed it at her, motioning for her to stand. "Now clean up. We've got some things to work out."

"Fuck you," she repeated, knowing as soon as she had cleaned up he was going to torture her. If he had wanted to just kill her, she would already be dead. She also figured her insolence was making him angrier, which just meant he was going to beat her that much harder, but she just wanted to buy a little bit of time.

He let out a small chuckle. "If you want to draw this out, it's fine with me," he responded. "I've been planning this for six months and I've got all the time in the world."

"Did your goons not tell you? I work for the crime lab. Someone will come looking for me when I don't show up for work," Cate tried to shake his confidence.

"Tsk, tsk, Cate," he replied. "You know my associates collect excellent information." He looked down at his watch. "You have a couple hours before you need to be at the lab. We'll take care of your absence."

She turned her face away from him and let out a wavering sigh. She had hoped maybe he didn't have a plan, but deep down knew that he would. He couldn't have carried out ten murders in twelve months without getting caught if he wasn't a planner.

"Can I at least have a little privacy?" she questioned as she shakily stood. She didn't even try to cover herself. They had been married, it's not like she had something he'd never seen.

"Whatever," he answered. As he started to walk out, he added, "But know, I've already been through the room and taken every thing you might get half an idea to use." He laughed once again as he closed the door.

Cate turned the faucet to make the water warmer. When it had reached a comfortable temperature, she stood in the falling water, letting it wash over her. She was leaning against the wall, not having enough strength to totally support herself.

As she showered, she tried to think what he might not have found in the house that she could get to, but her memory was still a little fuzzy. She was glad that at least one thing Paul wouldn't find was her Aunt Susan. And she wondered if he had found out about her aunt's trip or if it was just luck on her aunt's part that she wouldn't get caught in Paul's rage.

After her shower, Paul had forced her to call in sick to work. Cate wasn't sure they would believe it, but it was his idea, not hers. Then he had started on his revenge. Cate wasn't sure how many bones he had broken before he had decided to pause and get some rest. He tied Cate to her bed, then lay down next to her and went to sleep.

Cate, however, couldn't sleep. Her entire body throbbed from the beating and torture it had received. She hadn't known a human body could take so much pain. And she couldn't imagine what Dr. Robbins was going to find when he did her autopsy.

It was sometime the next day when there was a knock on her door. At first, Paul had ignored it, but after the second knock he was slightly distracted and Cate tried to get away. They got in to a scuffle, knocking some things over. Paul knew he'd have to let Cate answer the door when the third knock came and was distinctively louder. He forced Cate to put on a turtleneck and some jeans to cover as many of her bruises as possible.

"Who is it?" Paul whispered after Cate looked out the peephole.

"Gil Grissom," she replied in the same hushed tone.

A flash went through his eyes. "Maybe you should invite him in," Paul told her.

Cate shook her head and then opened the door wide enough for her to be seen and Paul to be kept hidden. "M-Mr. Grissom," she stuttered, a little nervous with a gun pointed at her. "What are you doing here?"

Grissom couldn't take his eyes off of the bruise on Cate's face. "You didn't show up for work today. I just wanted to make sure you were ok," he replied. Then, before she could respond he asked, "What happened to your face?"

A smile briefly appeared and then vanished across her lips. Between being unconscious and tortured, she had forgotten she had told Catherine she would be in even though it was her scheduled day off. It was a kink in Paul's plan.

"I-I fell practicing ballet," she lied, pulling down her turtleneck to scratch her neck. "Stupid door was left open," she added, cocking her head in the direction of Paul.

Grissom noticed as she scratched, she had bruises on her neck and on her wrist. He realized something was horribly wrong, but didn't know what to do. He guessed from her actions that whomever had caused her bruises was still present and he didn't want to let her go back in to face more. What he couldn't surmise was whether or not he could possibly take her attacker. He had left his service weapon in the vehicle and knew if he walked away from the door, it would be too late to use it anyway.

"Do you want me to take a look at it?" Grissom asked, trying to keep her at the door until he could think of something.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Paul nodding, wanting her to invite him in. She didn't want him to suffer the same fate as her, so she replied, "No, it'll be fine. I'll see a doctor tomorrow. I just need to rest." She started to move back in the house and close the door.

Grissom just stood there, still not knowing what to do. Paul, on the other hand, was sure of what he wanted to do. He stopped Cate from closing the door and then opened it wide, revealing himself to Grissom.

Paul pointed the gun at Grissom and motioned for him to come in. "Cate's being rude, why don't you come in?"


	15. Torture

Chapter 15

Grissom recognized Paul Beckett from his mug shot and complied with the order. He had figured correctly that Paul wouldn't hesitate to shoot him if he didn't come in. Grissom even had an inkling that Paul would actually quite enjoy killing him.

Grissom stood between Paul and Cate. His anger was evident on his face. He hated men that beat women and from the bruises he had seen, he could only imagine the ones she had that he hadn't seen. This only infuriated him more.

"Go get the rope," Paul ordered Cate.

"Please don't do this," Cate responded. "Just let him go."

"I said, go get the fucking rope," Paul demanded.

Cate just stood there, shaking her head no. Paul started to strike Cate, but Grissom grabbed Paul's arm before it connected. This irritated Paul even further and so he struck Grissom with his other hand. Grissom took the hit and started to throw a punch of his own when Paul struck him again.

Cate tried to help, but she couldn't do much. She tried to pull back on Paul, but with her left hand broken, she didn't have much strength behind her pull. He swung back, knocking hard against her. She fell back and hit her head against the wall then slumped to the floor.

Grissom threw another punch and it connected with Paul's chin. The hit only seemed to anger Paul more and he punched Grissom in the side of the head. The jarring strike caused Grissom to lose his balance and he dropped to the floor. Then Paul struck him once again on the side of his head, stunning Grissom.

Paul hurriedly searched Grissom for weapons and found none. He did take Grissom's cell phone, placed it on the ground and stomped on it, breaking it. Then, while both of his prisoners were still incapacitated, Paul quickly got the rope. He jerked the dazed Grissom up and stuck the gun in his back.

"Walk," Paul instructed, pushing Grissom forward.

Grissom clumsily obeyed, keeping one hand on the wall to help with balance. After a few steps, his mind cleared and full control of his faculties returned, yet he still kept up his troubled walk. He realized that his first attempted at subduing Paul Beckett had not gone well, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying again. He knew if he didn't, neither he nor Cate would make it out alive.

Further down the hall, Grissom decided to make his move. He deduced the position of the gun by stopping every couple steps and feeling where Paul would prod him with it. Grissom pretended to trip but quickly turned and grabbed for the gun.

Paul was taken aback by Grissom's quickness and jumped back a step. Grissom grasped the barrel of the gun and began to struggle with Paul for it. Grissom wrestled the gun from Paul's grasp and was about to turn it on Paul when he came charging at Grissom. Paul nailed Grissom in the chest with his shoulder causing Grissom to tumble back, the gun flying from his hand.

Paul sat on Grissom's chest and grabbed his head between his hands. Paul smashed Grissom's head in to the floor until he lost consciousness. Paul was sick of Grissom's interference, but he didn't want him dead just yet. His time, however, was coming.

By the time Grissom came back to, he was tied to a chair. Paul sat in another chair across from Grissom, staring at him. Cate was in a third chair that sat closer to Grissom than to Paul. She appeared to still be unconscious, with her chin resting on her chest. Grissom guessed this was the reason she wasn't tied.

"You stupid, weak old man," Paul mocked Grissom. "I can't believe how much she looks up to you, that she's in love with you."

"Physical strength has nothing to do with respect," Grissom retorted, not phased by Paul's statement. "Or love."

Paul paused in thought. "You got me there," he conceded. "But it does have a lot to do with pain. And your pain is just beginning."

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Greg had noticed Cate's absence for the past two days and was a little worried. He'd heard that Cate had said she had food poisoning, but he doubted that it would keep her away for two days. He knew how much Cate wanted to keep her job and would do anything—including showing up to work sick—to make sure she kept it.

He became especially vexed after the second day because no one had heard from her at all. And when he had tried her cell phone it went straight to voice mail. He, however, didn't know if that was because she was avoiding him. They hadn't said much to each other since she told him there was someone else. Still, if she was so sick that she couldn't even answer her phone, someone needed to check on her and if she wasn't sick, well, he hated to think what might have happened.

Greg pulled up the driveway to Cate's house. At first he was confused by the sight of Grissom's car parked in front of her house. Then, the wheels in his mind started to turn. She had said there was someone else. She and Sara had gotten in to an argument. And now, Grissom's car was here at her house. Grissom was the other man.

Greg almost left without even getting out of his car, but instead he let his jealousy get the best of him. If they were enthralled with each other, he could at least interrupt their passion. So he turned off his car and hopped out.

He approached the door, trying to fight the anger growing inside of him. He knew it was stupid to be angry, it's not like Cate or Grissom set out to hurt him. But he was only human; he couldn't help it.

Greg was just about to knock on the door, when he heard a loud thump. He tried looking in through the glass on either side of the door and luckily found a small space between the curtain and the wall where he got a clear view. And that's when he saw the man with blood on his clothes.

Greg knew it was Paul. After Cate told him about Paul, he did some research and memorized what the man looked like. He wanted to be able to recognize him should he ever have the pleasure of meeting him. Greg's heart started to pound in his ears.

He quickly snuck away from the door, wanting to make a call and not be heard. As soon as he made it to his vehicle he called Sofia and let her know what was going on. She advised him to wait on the police to arrive and he told her he would. However, he had other plans. He wasn't going to leave Cate—or Grissom—at the mercy of Paul Beckett any longer than he had to.

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"Stupid bitch," Paul kicked the chair that held the still unresponsive Cate. He had just finished a ten-minute tirade about her. He took an evil delight in badmouthing her to her idol. "She just never knew when to leave well enough alone."

Grissom sat silently, not responding to Paul. After the first minute of his speech, Grissom had tried to defend Cate to Paul. Paul had reacted by striking Grissom upside the head with the butt of the gun. Grissom decided he wasn't going to give Paul any more reasons to hit him.

Paul had gotten up and started pacing around the room. Grissom could tell he was losing patience waiting for Cate to wake up. "And it's all her fault I'm here," Paul added.

Grissom couldn't hold his tongue, "How in the hell could this be her fault?"

Paul looked at Grissom as if Grissom should know the answer to his own question. He decided to patronize Grissom and answered, "I never would have gotten involved in my…activities if it hadn't been for her."

"Ha!" came Cate's reflexive response. She had woken up during his diatribe, but had remained still, trying to figure out how she might be able to save Grissom. She knew it was pointless to try and save herself—she wasn't getting out of this alive.

Paul stopped where he was and looked at her. Grissom also cast a glance in her direction.

Knowing her ruse was up Cate looked at Paul and added, "You became a criminal because you liked the rush. I didn't have anything to do with it."

Paul took a few big, brisk steps towards Cate and then struck her. Grissom turned his head, not being able to watch the brutality while feeling helpless to do anything. Cate spit a wad of blood

"It was your fault," Paul insisted. "You started working more hours and I had to do something to keep up with you."

"So you turned to drugs and killing people?" Cate incredulously replied.

Paul was frustrated by Cate's response. He grabbed the front legs of Cate's chair and lifted them up. This caused Cate and her chair to fall backwards and slam against the floor. "You are guilty of the same fucking thing as I am!" Paul screamed at her. "You planted evidence on me! That's how I ended up in jail."

"I never killed anyone," Cate rasped out, short of breathe from her fall.

Paul proceeded to pace around the floor-bound Cate. "Just shut the fuck up!" Paul ordered. He grabbed a bookcase and over turned it. Then he continued to pace, looking as though he couldn't decide what would be the next pain to inflict on her.

Paul stopped pacing and crouched down beside her head. "You know, I should just kill you right now," he said, pointing the gun right at her temple. "This loser showed up," Paul pointed towards Grissom. "Who knows who might show up next?" Paul mused out loud.

"Drop the gun," Greg ordered Paul, coming in to the room, his own gun drawn.

Paul looked up from Cate and rolled his eyes, greeting Greg with, "And here comes our next contestant." Then he stood, pointing his weapon at Greg. "You don't want to fuck with me," he told Greg. "And you don't want to point that at me unless you plan to use it."

"I said, drop the gun," Greg repeated, confidence lacking from his voice.

Paul took a few steps towards Greg. He could tell Greg had never fired his gun at a person before and probably wasn't going to start now. "Go on, shoot," Paul taunted, closing the gap between the two men. "Shoot!"

"He may not shoot," Cate broke in, causing the men to look at her. She was shakily standing near the pile of books that had spilled from the bookcase. In her hand she held a small pistol, pointed directly at Paul. "But I will," she finished.

Paul quickly spun his gun around, pulling the trigger. There was loud bang and both Cate and Paul fell to the ground. Each had their own growing pool of blood.


	16. No goodbyes

Chapter 16

Greg rushed to where Cate lay, calling for help on his cell as he did so. When he reached her he saw her blood was oozing from a wound in her chest. "Cate, can you hear me?" he tried to gauge her alertness.

She nodded and then pointed towards Paul. "Is he dead?" came her barely audible question.

"I...I don't know," Greg responded, trying to keep his voice steady and pressure on her wound. His thoughts were obscured by his shock. He'd been around when shots were fired, but not so close, not when someone he cared about was the recipient of the bullet.

"Check," she requested.

A tear started to slide down Greg's cheek. "I can't. I need to keep pressure on your wound."

"Please…check," she pleaded, placing her hand over his. She needed to know the answer. "I'll hold it. It'll be ok for a minute."

Greg didn't move. Grissom, having heard Cate the last time she spoke, broke in, "Greg."

Hearing his name said by the older man reminded Greg that Grissom was still tied to the chair. He turned and looked at Grissom. "I need to keep pressure," Greg informed Grissom.

"She can do it for a moment, Greg," Grissom tried to assure Greg. "Untie me. I can help." Grissom could tell that Greg was in shock and was attempting to keep Greg calm.

Cate nodded in agreement with Grissom. "I can do it," she told him.

"O…okay," Greg finally slid his hands from under hers. He moved as though in a trance to where Grissom was and untied him. Then he returned to his place beside Cate. "Help is coming," he tried to comfort her.

Grissom went over to where Paul lay and kicked the gun away from his hand. Then he bent down to check the man's pulse. He looked over at Cate and Greg, "He's dead."

A smile spread across Cate's paling lips and she let out a hoarse laugh. Her laugh quickly turned to a cough and then gasps for air. She let out one final gasp, closed her eyes, and became very still. Greg quickly started CPR. He could hear the sirens in the distance and only hoped she made it.

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Grissom lay on his bed. It had been an extremely long day. After the ambulance arrived, Cate was taken to the hospital where she was immediately put in surgery. Grissom followed to the hospital, trying to see if Cate was going to make it. While waiting on the news, he gave his statement about what occurred.

It was almost five hours before Cate got out of surgery. She had broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, her left hand and arm were broken, and she had some internal bleeding, not to mention the gunshot wound. She made it through—barely—and was now in a coma.

The events played through his head. He wondered what he could have done differently that might have spared Cate some of her pain. It was true, Grissom had some of his own bruises along with a slight concussion after a couple failed attempts at aid, but it was her life on the line. He couldn't imagine why anyone would want to hurt another person like that.

Sara lay next to him, propped up on one elbow. She was glad he was home safe and sound. She could tell there were things he was pondering, but she had her own thoughts eating away at her. "So, why did you go over there?" she asked, now that they were alone and he could give her a real answer. She tried not to sound jealous, but wasn't sure she succeeded.

Grissom turned his head to look at Sara. He gave her the same answer he'd given everyone else, "I was worried about Cate not showing up for work, as I would be any of the CSIs."

"Except she isn't a CSI," she quickly pointed out, unhappy with his response.

Grissom sat up. He didn't want to argue with her. "Sara, what do you want me to say? Because I have a feeling no matter what I say it will be wrong."

Sara squirmed a little and sat up. She was uncomfortable with the fact that he could so easily read her. She still wasn't used to it. After letting out a sigh, she asked, "Do you have feelings for her?"

"She piques my interest," Grissom honestly replied.

Sara crossed her arms and let out a huff.

"But that doesn't mean it alters my feelings for you," Grissom added. "I'm here with you because you're who I want to be with."

Sara could feel the corners of her mouth start to twitch in to a smile as her anger started to ebb. All she really wanted to know was that he wasn't going to leave. She turned to Grissom and kissed him.

Grissom was relieved he'd said the right thing as he returned her kiss. He, for a little while, just wanted to get lost in her taste and her touch. He hoped that maybe she would be able to quiet the noise starting to creep into his head.

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A few days later, Greg made his first visit to Cate's hospital bedside. He hadn't been able to bring himself to visit her before because of his shame. His guilt had been eating away at him since the moment he heard the gun go off and realized it hadn't been his. He didn't know why he hadn't been able to take the shot when Paul Beckett had stood so close. He couldn't understand what stopped him from pulling the trigger. And now, because of his cowardice, Cate lay in this hospital bed, fighting for her life.

Greg pulled the chair up next to Cate's bed. He wanted to be close to her even though he wasn't sure if she could sense him. Then he held her hand in his, stroking it, as he pondered the information he had learned earlier that day about where Cate got the gun she used to end her torment.

As it turned out, the gun had been hidden in a hollowed-out book. When Paul overturned the bookcase it sent the gun, which was a small revolver, and the book that sheathed it, spilling on to the floor. Cate, from her position, was able to see it and Greg had been just the distraction she had needed. But he found little solace in being a diversion.

Greg let out a wavering sigh. He still wished he could go back in time and pull the trigger, to save Cate from being shot. She had already been through so much before she was shot. And now she might now make it through at all. He tried to fight back the tears.

After about an hour of talking to her about the past three days, Greg knew that he had to go. He had received no indication that she had heard him, but he still felt that she did. Or maybe it was that he wanted to believe that she had, because if that were true, she had heard his apology. And that made him feel a little bit better.

Greg kept his head down as he made his way out. He was sure his eyes were still a little red from his tears and didn't want anyone to see. While passing through the room's doorway, he ran in to someone. He looked up.

"Grissom," Greg's voice was still a little thick with emotion, but it couldn't hide his surprise. He hadn't seen Grissom since that night at Cate's house. Grissom had been on medical leave, while Greg was still at the lab each night. "Wh-what are you doing here? How're you doing?"

"I'm fine," Grissom responded, and then, stating the obvious, he added, "I came to check on Cate."

"She's not awake yet," Greg told him.

"How are you?" Grissom asked, noting that Greg seemed a little shaky, figuring Cate could wait.

Greg started to say something, but stopped. He let out a deep breath and in a quiet voice replied, "I'm sorry."

Grissom knew what Greg was talking about because Greg had confided in Sara and Sara had recalled the conversation to Grissom. He put his hand on the young man's shoulder. "Greg, I can count the number of times I've pulled my gun on one hand and I've never had to pull the trigger. Quite honestly, I don't know if I ever could. No one can say what they would have done in your place. You have nothing to be sorry for."

Greg shook his head. "You would have pulled the trigger. You would have done it to save your…Cate."

Grissom heard the word that Greg skipped over. "Cate and I are nothing more than friends," Grissom informed Greg. Seeing the disbelief still in Greg's eyes, Grissom explained, "I knew about her past with Paul and I didn't think it was a coincidence she didn't show up for work two days in a row. So I decided to stop in and see her because her house is on my way home."

The expression on Greg's face changed. He hadn't been aware that she had shared the details of her past with Grissom. And knowing that she had, he realized that Grissom was checking on Cate for the same reason he himself did. "What great heroes we make, huh?"

"She's alive, isn't she?" Grissom offered.

Greg nodded. "No thanks to us," he said under his breath and then left. He really didn't want to be consoled at the moment.

Grissom let Greg go, knowing the conversation was a losing battle. He then walked in to Cate's room and over next to her bed. He winced at the black and blue marks, which were much more pronounced today then the last time he had seen her. It wasn't the first time he'd seen someone so bruised, but it was the first time he'd seen someone he cared about in such a state. Not even Nick had looked so bad after his ordeal.

Grissom wanted to hold Cate, to comfort her, but felt he had no right. He had made his choice. He had chosen that which was familiar and safe—he had chosen Sara.

He felt a pang of emotion as he looked at the tubes running from her mouth, nose and hands. In the state she was in, she couldn't do anything for herself. The steady beep of the heart monitor gave him the slight consolation of knowing that her heart was still beating. He wondered what—if anything—was going through her mind at that very moment.

Grissom looked around to make sure no one had entered the room and no one in the hall could see him. Then he bent down and kissed Cate on the forehead. "Get well," he whispered in her ear. He straightened himself and left. There was nothing more he could do for her.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A few days later, Greg was walking past Grissom's office. He was reading a report and barely noticed that Grissom was back. It wasn't until he heard Grissom say Cate's name that he stopped and listened.

"Caterina Dietz…D-I-E-T-Z," Grissom impatiently replied in to the receiver. "But she was there a few days ago…Where was she transferred to…Thank you anyway," Grissom slammed down the phone, frustrated.

Greg's curiosity was piqued, so he stopped and knocked on the doorframe. "Hey Gris."

Grissom looked up. "Hey Greg. What can I do for you?"

"I overheard a little of your conversation," Greg confessed. "Is something going on with Cate?"

"I called the hospital to check on Cate, only it seems she isn't there anymore," Grissom told Greg. "She was transferred to another facility and they wouldn't say where."

"Why wouldn't they tell you?" Greg asked.

"Apparently, there was a note in the file stating that her location was not to be given to anyone and if anyone wanted to speak with her they would have to contact her lawyer."

Greg's face betrayed his disbelief. He couldn't understand how this could happen. "Did she wake up and order this or did someone else do it?" Greg was trying to figure things out.

The frustration on Grissom's face deepened. "They wouldn't give me a straight answer on that either."

"So, what do we do now?" Greg questioned.

Grissom shrugged and answered, "Move on."


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue

Greg couldn't just move on as Grissom had suggested. He knew there had to be some way to find out where Cate was and how she was doing. There was no way she would want to just disappear.

Greg tried her cell, only to find the number had been disconnected. Then he tried her home number, but it was no longer in service as well. Greg had her aunt's cell number and dialed it. Again, the number didn't work. Greg threw his phone across the locker room after the last recorded message bringing disappointment.

After his shift, Greg went to Cate's house. He knew it was late, but he had to know what was going on. There wasn't a light on in the home, but he still knocked on the door and rang the doorbell. He obtained no answer.

Greg walked around to the back of the house, just as he had that night about a week ago. He knew where the spare key was, or at least where it was a week ago. When he reached the back walk he searched the stone border for the fake rock that had served as the key's hiding place. But, as he feared, the stone was no longer there. So Greg left, defeated. If she didn't want to be found, he wouldn't search for her.

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Grissom returned home from a busy day at the lab. His physical bruises had healed, but there were still some emotional scars that he hadn't quite been able to mend. And today was one of those days when the noise started to creep in to his head.

He threw the mail down on the counter, causing it to scatter slightly. That is when he noticed the small envelope with only his name and address on it. He picked it up to see if there was a return address on the back, but it was blank. He checked the postmark to see where it came from only to find out it came from Las Vegas. His inquisitiveness got the best of him and he opened the letter to find it contained only six words.

_Gil,_

_I'm sorry. Thank you._

_Cate_

It was all he needed to hear.

Elsewhere in Vegas, Greg had opened an almost identical six-word letter. However, unlike Grissom, he found no solace in the letter. His emotional scars had faded, but were still very tender. He was glad Cate was alive, somewhere, but was still disappointed in the way she left. He crumpled the letter in to a ball and threw it in the garbage. He only wished he could do the same with his feelings and be done with them like he was done with her.


End file.
